Analyzing the Greats - Steve Prefontaine

In this video, I break down the stride and form of Steve Prefontaine.

Steve Prefontaine, or "Pre", is one of America's greatest distance runners of all time. Throughout his career, Pre held various American records ranging from 2,000 meters to 10,000 meters.

Pre was also known for being extremely active with athletes' rights, always pursuing what he thought was right.

Pre unfortunately died when he was 24, seemingly at the pinnacle of his career. His passing was indeed tragic, but we were lucky enough to enjoy his enthusiasm while he was here with us.

[yourbestfriend]

*This man was my inspiration!*
*He was the first runner i admired!*
*God bless Steve Prefontaine!*

[paulthompson]

when he is looking to the left, he is watching the clock at Hayward Field - he always ran against the clock!

[ryancoleyTurkey]

there is no runner i’ve ever seen like pre. he inspires me and was the first runner i looked up too. i share a lot in common with him and hope to one day be like him if not better

[paulthompson]

How about an analysis of the Ingebrigtsen brothers, particularly Jacob? His performances over the last couple of years make him the most likely next mile/1500m world record holder, if he continues to improve at his current pace. Love your work!

[anthonystrazzo]

His racing grit affected all of us. That's why his posters still hang in my home.

[isabelariassantos]

Excellent video and runner. Thanks. Maybe could you do a video about Steve Ovett’s . He is another excellent runner that I love his style, like Prefontaine. Thank you so much. Always the best🙏

[alejandrolynch]

Bro has come a long way just watched his last video and decided to go back to watch his first congrats for sticking to it🎉

[stevesmith]

I remember watching his munich olympic race. I was 8 at the time.
This guy ran with guts. I loved it still do.

[hedleykerr]

Steve was an idol of mine growing up has I comment on this it was 45 years ago today May 30 1975 12.08 am he was killed in an car crash! RIP Steve!

[phiphi]

A great loss for the sport...a legendary runner love by all runners around the world...we miss you so much.god bless you 🙏

[JoeMac]

If I remember correctly from his biography, he ran with his head tilted because he was obsessed with watching the clock on the scoreboard and also to increase his chances of hearing someone's spikes on the cinder blocks behind him if they were trying to make a move. There wasn't exactly a quiet atmosphere from the crowd when he was on the track.

[jeffmoffat]

He was a driven person, trying to prove himself and excelling after he found what he could do on a track. Also being the late 60s early 70s gave him a more interesting era to run in. The man lived in a trailer on food stamps to remain amateur! Think about that, 8 yrs later that all changed.

[hopemullins]

I love Steve Prefontaine so much! He is such a beautiful runner!

[garysmith]

Very interesting. Hope you will do a analysis on Lasse Viren one day. The '76 10000 where he and Lopes separated from the field shows his form pretty well.

[blankname]

You can definitely see the moment Pre panics here. He turns his head both left and right looking for other runners and his form is almost completely broken down at that point

[deplorablepatriot]

What made Pre great was NOT that he was a more talent runner: others have certainly run faster than him in the intervening 50 years. Yes, he DID have one of the highest VO2 max ever measured, but what he had was a capacity for effort. It was his sheer determination, grit, indomitable and indefatigable spirit; he wasn't the greatest of all time but he became an inspiration for all time because of his all-out approach and refusal to quit. People forget that he was only a 19yo newcomer when he challenged veterans for medal in the '72 Olympics 5K, and still he forced those who beat him to run a 4-minute mile to close out the race. No, he didn't medal, but he spread the field and changed the race significantly ... they KNEW they had been in a real race, not some jog-and-kick affair like the preceding heats. And yes, it was ultimately a waste of all that talent because he had been drinking at a post-race party when he rolled his beloved butterscotch MG, and it landed on top of him.

During this analysis, the author notes that Pre backed off going into the final turn; for those wondering, Pre backed off on the last turn because, yes, he was fading and he knew it, but he also knew that passing on the turn would have meant running further, so he backed off and gathered himself for one last chance on the final straightaway.

They might have beaten him, but they were had to bleed to do it.

[mikecampbell]

He was definitely taller than 5' 8". He was at least 5'9", and more likely 5' 9" 1/2. For that stature, he ran amazingly well.

[davidsmart]

Interesting observation on the heel strike and low arm carriage. In 1975 the year Pre died- I was a HS track / XC freshman and heel-toe and low arm carriage was actually taught by my coaches. Even so, we won 5 straight XC state championships from the late 70’s. I didn’t hear about paw back or toe-heel-toe foot strike until years later. And Viren’s arm carriage was much more compact like the great African runners who later dominated middle distance. Maybe Pre’s form errors were partly a result of misguided coaching?

[RESISTANCEISFUTILE]

My favorite all time teenage distance runner is Keith Ivinne, Rummel High School, Mardi Gras Track Team

[eddiecongdon]

Why analyze Pre running form ? He was a beast and his heart is what pushed his body not his form