Welcome to our collection of quotes (with shareable picture quotes) by Steve Prefontaine. We hope you enjoy pondering them and that you will share them widely.
Wikipedia Summary for Steve Prefontaine
Steve Roland "Pre" Prefontaine (January 25, 1951 – May 30, 1975) was an American long-distance runner who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics. 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. Prefontaine's career, alongside those of Jim Ryun, Frank Shorter, and Bill Rodgers, generated considerable media coverage, which helped inspire the 1970s "running boom." He died when aged 24 in an automobile accident near his residence in Eugene, Oregon. One of the premier track meets in the world, the Prefontaine Classic, is held annually in Eugene in his honor. Prefontaine's celebrity and charisma later resulted in two 1990s feature films about his short life.
It's hard to run a mile when you're not a miler and to kick when you've led all the way.
The AAU doesn't care about the athletes; why should I care about them?
I knew I had to show everybody that I could excel at something. But I didn't know what.
The idea of losing the three at Hayward Field and the idea of losing my specialty to someone who wasn't running his specialty. Mostly, the idea of losing in front of my people. They haven't forgotten about me.
I can endure more pain then anyone you've met. That's why I win, because I can endure more pain.
I don't just go out there and run. I like to give people watching something exciting.
Having a true faith is the most difficult thing in the world. Many will try to take it from you.
If I want to go to Europe and get thrashed by the Europeans, that's my business. Every race I lose I learn from and get tougher.
What kind of crazy nut would spend two or three hours a day just running?
I have a positive mental attitude, and I think I'm divine, but I also think it takes a heck of a lot of blood, sweat and tears.
This is my last year at Oregon, and it means a lot to me. The people have been great to me up there, so if I have to run three races to win the Pac-8 title, I'll do it. Oh, sure, I'll probably be tired, but the people shouting will carry me across the finish line.
How does a kid from Coos Bay, with one leg longer than the other win races?
Longer Version:
How does a kid from Coos Bay, with one leg longer than the other win races? All my life people have been telling me, 'You're too small Pre', 'You're not fast enough Pre', 'Give up your foolish dream Steve'. But they forgot something, I HAVE TO WIN.
I like to be able to go out to dinner once in a while. I like to be able to drive my MG up the McKenzie River on a weekday afternoon. I like to be able to pay my bills on time.
You probably choose x-country because you were too small to play football.
A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they're capable of understanding.
Something inside of me just said 'Hey, wait a minute, I want to beat him,' and I just took off.
My philosophy is that I'm an artist. I perform an art not with a paint brush or a camera. I perform with bodily movement. Instead of exhibiting my art in a museum or a book or on canvas, I exhibit my art in front of the multitudes.