I'm certainly not a contemporary of Pre, but I think in terms of impact of his death, he has affected running more than almost any other athlete.
10 years from now, no one is going to remember Sean Taylor as a player, only that he was murdered. Same with Pat Tillon. Not going to be remembered for his impact as a player, but as a patriot who gave his life for his country.
I can definitely see Pre as top 5. In terms of his impact on the sport, for what ever reason, he is glorified today. Every running shop has the Pre t-shirts and I'm always talking to HS kids who want to be Pre.