oldfart wrote:
Pre was a great runner.
The other two great American distance runners of the time are Ryun and Lindgren.
Over the period from 1969 through 1975 (Pre's heyday), Marty Liquori was generally the best American miler. The only reason he wasn't ranked #1 in each of those years was because he was often injured.
No American compiled a better record during Pre's heyday than Liquori. He was ranked number one in America for the mile in 1969, 1971, and 1975. (And number one in the world in 1969 and 1971.) Prefontaine was more of Liquori's generation than Ryun's, whose heyday was '64-68, or of Lindgren's who declined after the 1969 NCAA cross country championship. Liquori's career overlapped Prefontaine's, and Liquori accomplished more.