On the wall above the desk in my home office hangs the classic poster of Steve Prefontaine finishing a race at Oregon’s Hayward Field, along with his most famous and meaningful quote: To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.
Hanging above the mantel in the family room is the famous picture of Pre in his last race, trailed closely by Frank Shorter, giving his all just hours before he died.
Nearly 34 years after Pre’s fatal car crash on a hill overlooking the University of Oregon in Eugene, the way he lived and raced continues to inspire. Pre epitomized the unrelenting, uncompromising pursuit of excellence, and I believe that’s the only worthwhile way to live, whether you’re running a race or doing your job. Otherwise you’re cheating yourself.
That’s why I ordered a necklace created by Pre’s sister, Linda Prefontaine, right after I read about it in the April issue of Running Times magazine. The medallion is shaped in an oval, with rings like a track. On the front it says: “Love to Run.” On the back: “Inspired by Pre.”
The Running Times story describes how an Oregon high school team found unity and won the state cross country championship after its coach gave the team Pre necklaces the previous summer. Boosted by a pep talk from Linda Prefontaine before the state meet, the Hidden Valley High School harriers won with a score of 37 points, the second-best score in Oregon 4A history.
When my necklace arrived — less than a week after I ordered it, I might add — I called Linda to get her story and thank her for creating such a meaningful remembrance of her brother’s legacy.
“This has been such a fun and rewarding journey,” said Linda, who lives in Eugene. “The people I get to talk to, the people who love this necklace, if they are inspired by my brother it’s close to their heart.”
Linda started out selling bookmarks with her brother’s image and some of his most famous quotes. Then she developed a print of a painting with Pre’s image and text she wrote. It says in part:
“Your body perished in a moment. The world was no longer privileged to watch your artistry. But your spirit survived and continues to thrive, and grow, and you leave your mark on someone, somewhere, every day.”
Linda was selling those products in a booth at the 2006 Eugene Marathon when she found inspiration in the procession of ordinary runners streaming by.
“I was just watching all these thousands of people, all different shapes and sizes, all different abilities, all excited about running the marathon,” Linda said. “It just kind of hit me. I just got this idea about a necklace and making a statement. People like to be able to do that about something they love to do.”
I asked Linda, who was 2 1/2 years younger than her brother, how the man differed from the image associated with him.
“He wasn’t as cocky,” she said. “He was a really warm, caring, thoughtful individual. He wasn’t as self-obsessed as you might think from things that have been said. Anytime you’re at that level, you’d better be thinking about yourself a little bit. You’d better be obsessed enough with what you’re doing to make it a priority in your life, or you’re not going to stay on top.”
Like Linda, I love the fact that Pre continues to inspire so many, especially young people. Runners still leave mementos at the scene of the accident. Shorter has learned to recognize “the look” in young runners when they want to talk about Pre and are afraid to ask him. Metro State track coach Pete Julian, who saw Pre race often while growing up in Oregon, talks all the time about how Pre inspires him.
And I can’t wait to race wearing my new “Love to Run/Inspired by Pre” necklace.
“I think he’d be taken aback a bit by all the attention that has been put on him,” Linda said. “Thirty-plus years later, he still has a huge effect on adults and kids who weren’t born when he died. He still has a major influence on them. I think he’d be humbled by that, and I think he’d get a kick out of it as well.”
Preserving memory of Pre
The pendants created by Linda Prefontaine to honor her brother’s memory come in sterling silver ($60) and bronze ($40), with leather cords. She also has created a print of an original painting that once hung in Steve Prefontaine’s home and a set of bookmarks with inspirational Pre quotes. To order, go to .
