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Steve Prefontaine  During his brief 24-year life-span, Steve Prefontaine grew from hometown hero, to record-setting college phenomenon, to internationally acclaimed track star.
Track & field was in the midst of its glory days. Among hundreds of excellent athletes, one man stood out. He won nearly every race he ran and was the star of every meet he went to. When he ran, people would stand up, clap their hands, and chant his name... PRE PRE PRE!! Prefontaine was a crowd favorite and loved to put on a good show. Nobody could beat him unless they ran harder qouted Bob Kennedy. Steve could tolerate more pain than any other man. This was the secret of Steve's success as a runner.
Steve Prefontaine was one of the greatest distance runners of all time and arguably the greatest American runner ever. Know simply as "Pre" he amazed crowds as they watched him run. He is an idol to distance runners everywhere. He was an outstanding high school distance runner at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay and some of his records still stand. In his career at the University of Oregon he won four consecutive NCAA titles in the 5000 meters. He competed in the 1972 Olympics but was out sprinted in the end by some of the best kickers in his time. After this disappointing 4th place finish in the Olympics he was determined to put it behind him and look towards the '76 Olympics. After winning the 5000 at the NCAA prep invitational in May of 1975, he died in a single car accident when his MG convertible roadster flipped on top of him and he suffocated. He died May 30th, 1975. He was only 24 years old. His death was a great loss to the sport of Track & Field and he will always be remembered as one of the greatest runners in the history of the sport. May God be with Steve and bless his soul, for only a man like him, with his unfortunate mistakes he had made in his time, go on to still be loved by many people young and old.
Today, more than 25 years after his death, he continues to inspire runners across the world with his impressive times, great quotes, unique running ability, and most of all, his desire to win.
Below are times that Steve Prefontaine had ran in High School, College, and Post College.
High School
Year Grade Meet 880 Mile 2Mile 3Mile 5000m notes
1967 10 v Reedsport 9:42.1 1st place
1967 10 v Roseburg 2:03.5 1st place
1967 10 SCJV 4:29.1 1st place
1967 10 District 9:52.3 4th place
1968 11 Indian Club Relays 4:13.8 1st place
1968 11 Corvallis Invit. 9:01.3 1st place; state record
1968 11 v North Bend 1:56.2 1st place
1968 11 District 9:13.2 1st place
1968 11 State 9:02.7 1st place
1969 12 v Roseburg 1:54.3 1st place
1969 12 Corvallis Invit. 8:41.5 1st; national HS record
1969 12 District 4:07.4 9:14.3 1st in both
1969 12 State 4:08.4 9:03.0 1st in both
1969 12 Golden West Invitational 4:06.0 1st place; 10th all-time HS
1969 12 AAU Championships 13:43.0 4th place; 3rd all-time HS
1969 12 Hawaii Invit. 8:48.8 2nd place
1969 12 US v USSR 14:40.0 5th place
1969 12 US Europe 13:52.8 3rd place
1969 12 US v W. Germany 14:07.4 2nd place
1969 12 US v Great Britian 4:13.8 14:38.4 4th place
College
Date Year Meet 1500m Mile 2Mile 3Mile 5000m notes
1970 Fresh v Fresno St., Stanford 8:40.0 1st place
1970 Fresh v Washington St. 13:12.8 1st place
1970 Fresh NCAA Champ. 13:22.0 1st place
1970 Fresh AAU Champ. 13:26.0 5th place
1970 Fresh US v W. Germany 13:39.6 2nd place
1970 Fresh US v USSR 13:49.4 2nd place
1970 Fresh International 3:44.9 1st place
1970 Fresh Postal 13:25.6 1st place
1971 Soph Quadrangular 8:33.2 1st place
1971 Soph Oregon Twilight 3:57.4 2nd place
1971 Soph NCAA Champ. 12:58.6 1st place
1971 Soph AAU Champ. 12:58.6 1st place
1971 Soph v USSR All-Stars 13:30.4 1st; set American Record
1971 Soph v Africa 13:57.6 1st; lead runner mistook finish
1971 Soph Pan Am Games 13:52.6 1st place
1972 Jr. Pac-8 Champ. 13:32.2 1st place
1972 Jr. NCAA Champ. 13:31.4 1st place
1972 Jr. Olympic Trials 13:22.8 1st; set American Rcrd; 4th best in world
1972 Jr. Bislett Games 3:39.4 2nd place
1972 Jr. Pre-Olympic 8:19.4 1st; set American Record
1972 Jr. Olympics (heat) 13:32.6 2nd place
1972 Jr. Olympics (final) 13:28.3 4th place
1972 Jr. Zauli Memorial 13:26.4 2nd place
1973 Sr. Quadrangular 3:56.8 13:06.4 1st in both
1973 Sr. NCAA Champ. 13:05.3 1st; first to win all 4 years
1973 Sr. AAU Champ. 12:53.4 1st; 6th best in world
1973 Sr. Hayward Restoration 3:54.6 1st place
1973 Sr. v W. Germany 13:23.8 2nd place
Post College
Date Meet Mile 3000 2Mile 3Mile 5000 10000 notes
4.27.74 Oregon Twilight 27:43.6 1st; set America Record; 6th in world
6.8.74 Hayward Restoration 12:51.4 1st; set AR; 3rd best in world
6.26.74 World Games 13:21.9 2nd; set AR
7.2.74 International 7:42.6 2nd; set AR
7.18.74 July Games 8:18.4 3rd; set AR
4.26.75 Oregon Twilight 28:09.4 1st place
5.4.75 Finnish Tour 8:26.4 1st place
5.15.75 Finnish Tour 13:46.8 1st place
5.24.75 California Relays 8:36.4 1st place
5.29.75 NCAA Prep 13:23.8 1st; last race
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