Steve Roland “Pre” Prefontaine (January 25, 1951 – May 30, 1975) was an American long-distance runner who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics. Steve Prefontaine: Death Scene| Biography| Classic| Oregon:
While running for the Oregon Track Club, Prefontaine set American records at every distance from 2,000 to 10,000 meters, as he prepared for the 1976 Olympics. Today we will discuss about Steve Prefontaine: Death Scene| Biography| Classic| Oregon.
Steve Prefontaine: Death Scene| Biography| Classic| Oregon…
Prefontaine was born on January 25, 1951, in Coos Bay, Oregon. His father, Raymond George Prefontaine (November 11, 1919 – December 21, 2004), was a welder after his time serving in the U.S. Army in World War II. Steve’s mother, Elfriede Anna Marie Sennholz (March 4, 1925 – July 16, 2013), worked as a seamstress. The two returned to Coos Bay after Ray met Elfriede in Germany while serving with the U.S. occupation forces. The middle child and only son, he had two sisters, Neta and Linda, and they all grew up in a house built by their father.
| Personal information | ||||||||||
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| Nationality | American | |||||||||
| Born | January 25, 1951 Coos Bay, Oregon |
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| Died | May 30, 1975 (aged 24) Eugene, Oregon |
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| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | |||||||||
| Weight | 152 lb (69 kg) | |||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||
| Country |  United States |
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| Sport | Athletics/Track,Long-distance running | |||||||||
| Event(s) | 5000 meters, 10,000 meters,mile, 2 mile | |||||||||
| College team | Oregon Ducks | |||||||||
| Club | Oregon Track Club | |||||||||
| Coached by | Bill Bowerman | |||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||
| Olympic finals | 1972 Munich 5000 m, 4th |
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| Personal best(s) |
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Medal record
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Death Scene
Eugene’s Register-Guard called his death “the end of an era.” At his death, Prefontaine was probably the most popular athlete in Oregon and, along with Jim Ryun, Frank Shorter, Jeff Galloway and Bill Rodgers, was credited with sparking the national running boom of the 1970s. An annual track event, the Prefontaine Classic, has been held in his memory since 1975. Known as the “Hayward Field Restoration Meet” in its first two years, it was rebranded as the “Bowerman Classic” for 1975 and set for June 7. Two days after Prefontaine’s death, it was renamed by the Oregon Track Club on June 1, with Bill Bowerman’s approval, and the first “Pre Classic” was held six days later.
During his career, Prefontaine won 120 of the 153 races he ran (.784), and never lost a collegiate (NCAA) track race longer than one mile at the University of Oregon.
Biography
Prefontaine was an exuberant person, even during his formative years. He was always moving around, partaking in different activities and events. In junior high, Prefontaine was on his school’s football and basketball teams, but was rarely allowed to play because of his short stature.
In the eighth grade, he noticed several high school cross country team members jog to practice past the football field, an activity he then viewed as mundane. Later that year, he began to realize he was able to compete well in longer distance races in his Physical Education class during a three-week conditioning period. By the second week of the daily mile runs, Prefontaine was able to finish second in the group. With this new-found success and athletic ability, he fell in love with cross country running.
Classic
The Prefontaine Classic, an Oregon Track Club event, is one of the premier track and field meets in the United States, held in Eugene, Oregon. Every year it draws a world caliber field to compete at Hayward Field on the campus of the University of Oregon. Previously one of the IAAF Grand Prix events, it is now part of the Diamond League. The meet is one of the few international competitions to host the imperial distances of the Mile run and 2 Mile run.
Oregon
Following his collegiate career at Oregon, Prefontaine prepared for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. While running for the Oregon Track Club, Prefontaine set American records in every race from 2,000 to 10,000 meters. In 1974, Prefontaine was invited to give a presentation at a banquet. It was held in Eugene the night prior to the Junior College Cross Country Championships. Prefontaine talked about the importance of cross country through his own eyes. After his death, the notes Prefontaine made were given to his family.
