46 years ago today, on May 30, the global track and field community lost one of its greatest runners in history, Steve Prefontaine, but his legacy and impact on the sport will live on forever.
Steve Prefontaine once said: “To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.” He was a true innovator who helped mold track and field into what it is today, and he posses and indomitable spirit.
In his extraordinary career in track and field, Prefontaine was the winner of 120 out of the 153 races, and the runner never lost a collegiate (NCAA) track race that was longer than one mile at the University of Oregon.
At the time of his death (May 30, 1975), Prefontaine held every American outdoor track record between 2,000 and 10,000 meters (all eight records).
Prefontaine was hailed by track and field fans, his peers, and historians alike. He was posthumously inducted into the following Halls of Fame: Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1983, the USA Track and Field Hall of Fame, and the National High School Track and Field Hall of Fame, among many other awards and accolades.
His life story was the subject of two dramatic films: Prefontaine in 1997 starring Jared Leto as Steve Prefontaine, and Without Limits a year later, in 1998, with Billy Crudup as Prefontaine.
Linda Prefontaine runs Prefontaine Productions, LLC, in memory of her accomplished brother.
On the legacy of her brother, Steve, Linda Prefontaine told Digital Journal, “Steve was a small-town kid who lived his dream by working very hard and didn’t let anything get in his way to accomplish his goals. He was a pure runner who was willing to risk everything to make his sport better for ALL other track and field athletes.”
The Prefontaine Classic has been held in Eugene, Oregon, annually in Steve’s honor, ever since 1975.
For more information on Steve Prefontaine’s life story and legacy, check out the official Prefontaine Productions homepage.
