Steve Prefontaine, Champion Marathoner?

It’s hard to picture Pre running a marathon, the lack of patience and the way he would thrash himself in shorter races makes me think he’d have absolutely blown up and staggered home in a marathon at least once, but who knows. – Waffle Iron, LetsRun.com

The Golden Anniversary of The Great One’s passing. The release at long last of a new biography – highly enjoyable, less than definitive. Nike’s drop of the Pre Montreal; turns out ‘No Relation.’ A half century later, some of us all begin to wonder what is real and what is myth. Some of us were there and we don’t agree.

Steve was real, that’s for damn sure. “Pre” more so and less so, I have come to believe. Personally buffed his outsized memory myself and do so still. While continuing to ask the tough questions, of course.

Just not out loud. Okay. I can’t help myself. Do you suppose maybe Steve really did share all these revolutionary footwear designs with Hollister and Bowerman and that’s as far as it went? Would Nike have survived without Pre?

Would Steve have run a marathon? I can almost see him as a bandit, popping out of the bushes into the ’80 Olympic race in Moscow. “Hey, Waldemar! Frank said to say, Hi!”

The myths perpetuate themselves. Fifty years after Steve’s death, a couple years after the passing of his biggest fan, two legends grow together.

As told by Noe De Leon [emojis removed, edited for clarity, excitement muted for reader safety]

USA’s Steve Prefontaine is pictured winning & setting a New 3-Mile American Record in The Restoration Meet in 1974 in the old gone Hayward Field in Eugene Oregon, defeating Frank Shorter, The 1972 Olympic Marathon Champion, who is obscure in the photo. Pre is sporting his old school club vest of The Oregon Club (OTC).

That photo could have also been Steve Prefontaine winning & setting an American Record in a Major World Marathon.

By 1974, Pre is endorsing Nike & working for Nike, thanks to Phil Knight & Bill Bowerman, the two co-founders of Nike. Back in the 1970s, American Track & Field still kept records in yards, too, besides meters, Pre in the first half of The 1970s held American Records in The 2-Mile, 3-Mile, 6-Mile. By 1975 in the metric distances he held American Records also over The 2,000m, 3,000m, 5,000m & 10,000m, which were all World Ranked Times.

The only other American Runner that set American Records like Pre was Jim Beatty in The 1960s. Beatty even held at one time American Records in The 1,500m & The Mile Run along with the same records as Pre. Pre never held American Records over The 1,500m or Mile Run.

Also, Jim Beatty & Steve Prefontaine never held The American Record for The Marathon, neither one ever competed in a Marathon. Around 1975 in Track & Field News magazine, I read that had Pre ‘s Coaches Bill Dellinger & Bill Bowerman at The University Of Oregon been able to convince Pre to run a Marathon, he would have set an American Record.

I thought to myself back in 1975, Pre would have held every American Record from The 2000m to The Marathon.

Recently on September 24 , 2022, I thought about that again when Kenya ‘s Eliud Kipchoge set a World Record in The Marathon with an amazing time of 2:01:09 in The Berlin Marathon in Berlin Germany, Eliud Kipchoge for sure is The G.O.A.T. in The Marathon, this past week after Kipchoge broke his own World Record in The Marathon.

I also thought again, what could have Pre run over a Marathon? In his Running Career he defeated his rival & friend Frank Shorter over 5,000m & broke Shorter’s American Records over 5,000m & 10,000m, so I figured in The Mid 1970s The Marathon American Record was next for Steve Prefontaine. Also, Pre was faster than Frank Shorter & Bill Rodgers who in 1975 set an American Record in The Marathon with a time 2:09.55 breaking Shorter’s American Record of 2:10.30.

I believe what Coaches Bill Dellinger & Bill Bowerman said, if they would have convinced Pre to run The Marathon, he would have set The American Record in The Marathon. I believe that because Pre was faster than Shorter & Rodgers over The 1,500m, 5,000m & 10,000m. Also, because before Pre broke Shorter’s 10,000m American Record in 1974, Pre was training 100- to 140 Mile- a-week in Eugene Oregon & training at altitude with Shorter in Colorado.

I also think Steve Prefontaine would have broken Frank Shorter’s or Bill Rodgers’s American Record in The Marathon. I think Pre would have Run at least a time of 2:08.?? for an American Record, which back in The Late 1970s & Early 1980s would have been a World Ranked Time & a Great Time,

Also, this thought came to mind to me this week, after Eliud Kipchoge set his World Record in The Marathon. I thought to myself that in Our Running Sports & Track & Field, we don’t have Cry Baby Athletes for fame & money wanting to be compared to other athletes in their sports from other Eras as The G.O.A.T. We have our own Greatest.

I never saw or heard on TV, I never read in magazines or newspapers, that Steve Prefontaine was comparing himself to Jim Beatty, Gerry Lindgren, Bill Rodgers, Bob Schul, Billy Mills & Frank Shorter.

In my opinion, Steve Prefontaine is America’s Greatest Of All Times in Distance Running. Pre is America ‘s G.O.A.T., because of his times in his Era & he brought much needed attention back in The 1970s to Our Running Sports & Track & Field with his National Records & National NCAA, AAU & Olympic Trials Championships in The 5,000m.

I would have hoped, had Steve Prefontaine competed in an Olympic Marathon, he would have won The Gold Medal. I always hope The Best Destiny for my Boyhood Hero Steve Prefontaine always.

Noe C/$ 9/30/2022 [Facebook]

Pre is gone, Noe, too, but we’ll always have Artificial Intelligence. I asked, could Prefontaine have been a marathoner? AI answers my question with another question – Did you mean: could Prefontaine be a marathon? Don’t start with me.

Could Prefontaine have been a marathoner? AI Overview

It’s unknown if Steve Prefontaine would have been a successful marathoner, but it’s plausible he would have, given his history of moving up to longer distances and his powerful front-running style. Although he never attempted the marathon distance, his sister and friends believe he had the heart and guts to excel at it, and it’s possible he would have found new success in longer races after his career in the 5,000 and 10,000 meters.  

Why he might have been a marathoner:

• History of success in longer distances: By 1975, Prefontaine held every American record from 2,000 to 10,000 meters. This indicates a natural progression in distance running, and a move to the marathon would have been a logical next step. 
• Gutsy front-running style: Prefontaine was known for his aggressive, front-running style, pushing the pace from the start and outlasting his opponents. This approach could have translated well to the marathon, where outlasting opponents is a key strategy. 
• Age: At the time of his death in 1975, he was only 24 years old. Marathoners often reach their peak in their late twenties or early thirties, suggesting he would have had several more years of peak performance ahead of him. 

Why he might not have been:

• A different skill set: While he had the grit for longer races, the marathon requires a significantly different physiology and training approach than his preferred 5k and 10k events. 
• Focus on shorter distances: He was a world-class 5k and 10k runner, and his focus was primarily on these distances, preparing for the 1976 Olympics. 

The ultimate question:

Ultimately, it’s a matter of speculation. His life was cut tragically short, leaving his potential in the marathon an unanswered question. 

Thank you, AI. Way to work up a sweat.

Been ten years since we last chatted about Pre The Marathoner. Before Super Shoes, the general consensus was indeed 2:08ish.

Of course, many many people believe, if Pre had lived, he would have personally designed super shoes decades earlier and been the first marathoner to cover the distance in less than two hours.

If Noe De Leon had lived, he might suggest Steve with a roll-over bar would have easily won three gold medals at the ’84 LA Games.

“They said he was too old,” Runners Weird headlined. Well, that was a mistake.

Turns out Nike’s long-time National Director of Public Affairs had designed an artisanal bespoke pair of seamless silver wings. Curated from track to fable.

Pre Historic.

“Lore has it that prior to the Pre Montreal, Steve Prefontaine was reluctant to run in Nike track shoes because he couldn’t find a shoe that felt just right, including the prototypes created for him by Bill Bowerman. The Pre Montreal might have been the first Nike shoe Pre truly loved, and its history is grounded in equal parts innovation and somber memory for its legendary endorser.”

https://about.nike.com/en/stories/pre-montreal-steve-prefontaine-track-spike-history