Something special regarding Steve Prefontaine is coming Janaury 25th - Any ideas as to what it is?

I think some of it has to do with how Prefontaine is often portrayed as the only star of American distance running during its boom. That is obviously not fair to the rest of the athletes of that era who were even more accomplished.

But the power of his personality, his American records, his stand against the AAU, his tragic death (and the cultural flaws that "70s partying" represented), and the fact that he looked and acted like the counter-culture that was flourishing on the West Coast made him stand out from people who were "just runners."

The cultural and narrative aspects of Pre's life are why he is given this iconic status. Not because he outperformed Dave Wottle, Billy Mills, Bob Schul, Frank Shorter, Jim Ryun or any of the other icons of that time.

But when we mythologize our past, we often just pick one person to load up with all the good and bad from that time. We do it because it allows us to keep a simpler narrative about who we are (as a sport or a nation or whatever).

p.s. Bob Schul got Olympic gold in Pre's favorite event (the 5000m) just 8 years earlier. Why don't we celebrate him? I don't mean that disrespectfully; I think the answer reveals a lot about us as a culture.

runnersworld.com

Bob Schul, America’s Only Olympic Gold Medalist in the 5,000 Meters, Dies at 86

His long sprint to glory in Tokyo helped spark the first running boom in the U.S.

Open link

Imagine if Kelvin Kiptum was an American....his WR would have been epically celebrated here and his death at 21 yrs old would have been equally as tragic. Thats exactly why people celebrate Pre as an athlete. He was groundbreaking and a complete anomaly just like Kiptum was for his very short time.

Death Race 5000- Sammy W out kick's Steve P for the W.

"out kick's"

Good lord.

Steve prefontaine funko pop toy

So he would have been 74. Not a particularly meaningful birthday so no idea.

With Elvis and Gabe Jennings.

1/25 is the date of his birth.

That would be epic, bro! Prefontaine Pilsner, but make it an imperial with 8% ABV.

The post does not mention being overrated.

I have moved on from the myth having met several people who knew him and talked about him with them. The real story of Pre is still a pretty good one. His fight against the corruption of the AAU is a worthy legacy. Had he not made a bad decision, he would have accelerated the move away from shamateurism and been able to open things sooner. He had the platform to do it.

Using new hologram technology, Pre will run the Bowerman Mile at the meet named after him.

If they can do it for singers/rappers like Tupac, Whitney Houston, Micheal Jackson and others, why couldn't it be done for an athlete?

You make some excellent points. Also when people die young (see James Dean whom, to me, is the acting equivalent of Pre) it is easier to mythologize (is that a word?) them.

I think a key difference between Schul and Pre was TV. I was 1 when Schul won so I don't have a memory of it, but TV coverage of the Olympics was pretty sparse in those days from what I have read. By 1972, the Olympics were on TV and then factor in track, because of USSR v US meets, was a big tv event after those Games. Yes, track meets were once on broadcast tv! They were a staple of the most watched sports anthology series at the time: Wide World of Sports.

I would have to say Frank Shorter made a huge impact on running along with Jim Fixx and later Bill Rodgers. Shorter's performances in 72 and 76 were key elements to that running boom.

Fourth Place ESB

We are going to clone Pre.

I'm Australian by birth. I knew Herb Elliot and others, Ron Clarke etc. So athletic an "myth" was never my interest.

Like all of us at that time we subscribed to Track and field news. Pre was a name, but when you follow world results, he was more of an American story than anywhere else.

I also saw Pre run when I attended the 1972 olympics.

When I eventually moved to the USA for track, I was bemused by his enormous reputation. Obviously a swahbuckler, and fun to watch, at times, but overrated on the world stage.

Having lived here for over 40 years i understand that its more Pre's personality than athletic ability. He's the type that the country votes against, but wishes they were.

Ivo VanDamme was a bigger loss to track, but Pre will live in the imagination of Americans forever. Imagination.

Unfortunately, athletes like Billy Mills are overlooked. A far better athlete to be proud of

Good one mate! You made funny!

Billy Mills had the race of his life in one race on one day and good for him indeed, zero offense to him....great guy and a great race for back then.

But....he did not have the career that Pre did for the years that Pre ran.

You are clearly short changing Pre and the tone seems personal as you appear to be bothered by an American remembering a great runner from America. Arent hou doing the same for runners from your country, runners that you specifically mentioned? Strange.

He was charismatic indeed, but he was also a great runner for his time. To not admit that reeks of jealously or some other emotion that I can't put my finger on but you surely know.

Peace brother 🙏

Is it to honor all the millennial cheat-shoe 16-min 5k runners that think it’s cool to trash on him? Despite the fact that Pre has brought more attention to American distance running than any other runner ever.