“The best pace is a suicide pace and today seems like a good day to die” Steve Prefontaine ran every race as though it were his last. He just had a will to win and had the guts to do it. He said “Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it” -Pre(flotrack). Steve went from a benchwarmer in junior high to being one of the best runners in the world. He mad a huge impact on the running world and still does today.
Steve Prefontaine was born January 5, 1951 in Coos Bay Oregon. He grew up in Coos Bay under the influence of his parents Ray and Elfridene Prefontaine. The house they lived in on Elrod Street was build by his father.(Jordan 5) He had two sisters named Neta and Linda. Growing up Pre was a very small kid. In junior high Pre tried to be just as strong and like the others, he was only 5 feet tall and 100 pounds in the eight grade. While at a football practice he would see the cross country team jog by on their way to practice, and …show more content…
“At the distract cross country meet, there was maybe a quarter mile left to go and when this little guy in purple passed them and took a short lead. They just went ‘Who was that?’ They got him in the end and they same thing happened at the state meet, where he got sixth. Steve was really mad. ‘Lets run again!’ he said. and he'd probably have beaten them if they did”. -Walt McClure, his high school coach (7). Steve had a very successful high school career. His senior year Pre was undefeated in track winning two state titles for the mile and two mile. He set PR’s in the mile running a 4:06 mile and 1:54 half mile, in addition to his national high school record in the two-mile performance earlier that spring( Michael Musca-runnerworld). Colleges across the country wanted Pre to run for them. Oregon assistant track coach first saw Pre run when he was only a Junior in November 1967. Later in April 969 Pre signed with the University of
Steve Prefontaine was born January 5, 1951 in Coos Bay Oregon. He grew up in Coos Bay under the influence of his parents Ray and Elfridene Prefontaine. The house they lived in on Elrod Street was build by his father.(Jordan 5) He had two sisters named Neta and Linda. Growing up Pre was a very small kid. In junior high Pre tried to be just as strong and like the others, he was only 5 feet tall and 100 pounds in the eight grade. While at a football practice he would see the cross country team jog by on their way to practice, and …show more content…
“At the distract cross country meet, there was maybe a quarter mile left to go and when this little guy in purple passed them and took a short lead. They just went ‘Who was that?’ They got him in the end and they same thing happened at the state meet, where he got sixth. Steve was really mad. ‘Lets run again!’ he said. and he'd probably have beaten them if they did”. -Walt McClure, his high school coach (7). Steve had a very successful high school career. His senior year Pre was undefeated in track winning two state titles for the mile and two mile. He set PR’s in the mile running a 4:06 mile and 1:54 half mile, in addition to his national high school record in the two-mile performance earlier that spring( Michael Musca-runnerworld). Colleges across the country wanted Pre to run for them. Oregon assistant track coach first saw Pre run when he was only a Junior in November 1967. Later in April 969 Pre signed with the University of