Pre - 50th Anniversary

May 30

May 30 Pre - 50th Anniversary

If you’re familiar with the history of Nike and the core essence of what the brand used to be, then you know who Steve Prefontaine is. You know that he was the heart and soul of the brand from the beginning.

““Pre was a rebel from a working-class background, a guy full of cockiness and guts. Pre’s spirit is the cornerstone of this company’s soul.”
- Nike co-founder Phil Knight ”

Today marks the 50th anniversary of his passing on May 30, 1975, at the age of 24. I’m not going to retell his story in this post or list all his accomplishments in the sport of running, but as a lifelong supporter of Nike (I even started my company, UnCommon Thinking, by doing projects around Andre Agassi, Pete Sampras, Tiger Woods, and Lance Armstrong, all Nike athletes at the time) I do want to provide a quick guide or informational directory to all things Pre as an appreciation to his legacy.

Recent Articles:

05.29.25 - Even 50 years after his death, Steve Prefontaine remains connected to Spokane and entire track and field community
https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2025/may/29/even-50-years-after-his-death-steve-prefontaine-re/

05.29.25 - 50 years after Steve Prefontaine’s death, track and field has never been able to replace his star power
https://www.oregonlive.com/trackandfield/2025/05/50-years-after-steve-prefontaines-death-track-and-field-has-never-been-able-to-replace-his-star-power.html

05.28.25 - Premembrance Day: Celebrating Steve Prefontaine, 50 years after his tragic early death
https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/about/a64903604/steve-prefontaine-50th-anniversary/

05.28.25 - Steve Prefontaine: His allure runs strong, 50 years later
https://www.klcc.org/sports/2025-05-28/steve-prefontaine-his-allure-runs-strong-50-years-later

05.24.25 - Why does runner Steve Prefontaine remain so popular 50 years after his tragic death?
https://www.registerguard.com/story/sports/pro/track-field/2025/05/24/steve-prefontaine-running-legacy/83804887007/

Quotes:

“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”

“I'm going to work so that it's a pure guts race at the end, and if it is, I am the only one who can win it.”

“A lot of people run a race to see who is the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more.”

“Some people create with words, or with music, or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, 'I've never seen anyone run like that before.' It's more than just a race, it's style. It's doing something better than everyone else. It's being creative.”

Books:

Pre: The Story of America's Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine by Tom Jordan
(I have read this and recommend it)
https://www.amazon.com/Pre-Americas-Greatest-Running-Prefontaine/dp/0875964575/

The Front Runner: The Life of Steve Prefontaine by Brendan O’Meara
(New book just published)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0063348969?

The Prefontaine Classic
https://www.preclassic.com/

Pre’s Rock:
https://www.eugene-or.gov/Facilities/Facility/Details/127