There have been faster runners then Steve Prefontaine and still he captivates the running

world. All of his high school, collegiate, and American records have been surpassed and yet

we remember "Pre" as the greatest of all time in our hearts. So what is it about Steven

Roland Prefontaine out of Coos Bay, Oregon that captivates us?

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I was introduced to running in the 5th grade and quickly became fascinated with its history.

I remember sitting in the library and reading about Olympic Champions, such as Sebastian

Coe, and marveling at how they could run so fast and be the best at one thing in the whole

world. When I was 15 years old a running coach named Dave Ross gave me a Book about a

guy named Steve Prefontaine. Initially I stared at the cover and smirked because his

mustache was a little funny, and yet 2 days later when I had finished the book I too was

awestruck at the life of a uniquely fearless competitor.

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His story of fighting to overcome the odds and believing even if no one else did was inspiring.

The countless times he won when he shouldn't have, and battled back to claim victory

despite all seeming lost resounded with me. He had an eternal optimism about him and that

reflected on his friends, family, and fans. He never quit, even when outgunned, and that

connected with me as a kid coming from a troubled background. I am sure that shared

American Spirit of hope for impossible dreams is what keeps the legend of Steve Prefontaine

cascading through time.

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A few years back I was working on a story about the famed 1990's Mead High School Cross

Country Program out of Spokane Washington. They had literally ruled the state and national

running scene winning 12 team state titles and three national championships over 18 years

under the guidance of head coach and former Prefontaine roommate (and best friend) Pat

Tyson.  Pat Tyson a highly recruited distance standout out of high school with a two mile

and mile personal bests of 4:24 and 9:22. He chose Oregon, the running capital of

America, to pursue his athletic dream.

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A lesser man would have crumbled under the pressure at Oregon but for Tyson he

blossomed under Coach Dellinger's philosophy and found strength and support in his

friendship with Steve Prefontaine. "Pre was a guy with energy and passion. He never

questioned and never complained and everyone learned from that and then I moved in

with him. we did run together every morning and the guys would get together on Sundays

to run with us." Pat Tyson improved greatly and finished his Oregon career as one of the

schools top 6 runners ever in the 3 mile and 6 mile, and history has shown that the tools

of the trade he gathered from Dellinger and Pre have influenced his continued greatness

in coaching. Currently Pat Tyson is the head cross country coach at Gonzaga University

out of Spokane, Washington.

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There is something mysterious about the way charismatic figures can inspire themselves

and influence others to perpetual excellence. Pat Tyson wasn't the only guy Pre influenced to greatness and even in his death consider how remarkable it is that his energy and passion still affect people generations later. It's not that he won its how he won; his victories were the stuff of legend. He won the 1970 NCAA 5000m Championship with a stitched up foot bleeding profusely through his shoe; he won the 1973 NCAA Cross Country Championship with severe sciatica, overcoming an insurmountable 50 meter lead by Western Kentucky's Nick Rose to claim the impossible victory; and he won the legendary civil war trophy for Oregon, overcoming a 15 second lead to catch 4 minute miler Rich Kimball in just 1 mile. Even in his loss at the 1972 Olympics in the 5000 meter final he pressed older and faster runners to a near sub four minute last mile, collapsing at the finish, simply to ensure that they earned it. He stated emphatically, "to give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift" and his performances were steadfast examples of that.

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I had an opportunity to meet with Bill McChesney Sr. in Eugene, Oregon a few years ago, his son Bill McChesney was a standout runner as well who surpassed Pre's state high school and Oregon track records. He likewise died in a tragic car accident following a motivational talk with high school students in 1992. I asked Bill Sr. why people cannot forget about guys like his son or Pre and what made them special, and his answer was simple, "They earned it every day".  They earned it at every practice and at every meet and had an uncanny ability to persist even in the worst of times and regardless of the sacrifice, the goal was always paramount and that was to be their best.

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Pre's dad Ray Prefontaine told me once that "to get faster you have to run faster". What he meant was you had to have the discipline to manage your growth and progression each and every day; you had to "earn it every day". Set a goal, establish a plan, and fiercely seize your moments of opportunity when they come, because they will be few and far between.

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Running is a sport that is not for the biggest, strongest, or most talented; instead it's for the hardest working little guy who at times is the only one believing that what shouldn't happen will happen. So why does Pre captivate us? Because before he was Pre he was Steven Roland Prefontaine, a son, a brother, the hardest working little guy, and a dreamer. Despite his countless triumphs: the way he persisted, focused, and willed himself to victory time and time again; it's in the tragedy of the one victory we all wanted him to have, that he couldn't reach, that burns the passion and energy of Pre into our hearts.

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He will forever be our Gold Medal to history. Pre lives.