Steve Prefontaine

Steve Prefontaine Medal record Men's athletics Competitor for the United States Pan American Games Gold 1971 Cali 5000 m

Steve Roland "Pre" Prefontaine (January 25, 1951 – May 30, 1975) was an American middle and long-distance runner who competed in the 1972 Olympics. Prefontaine once held the American record in seven different distance track events from the 2,000 meters to the 10,000 meters.^[2] Prefontaine died in May 1975 at the age of 24 in an auto accident.^[3]

Prefontaine, Jim Ryun, Frank Shorter, and Bill Rodgers generated considerable media coverage which helped inspire the 1970s "running boom". Prefontaine was often known for his mustache and his long locks of hair that parted as he ran.

Early life

Steve Prefontaine was born on January 25, 1951, in the coastal logging town of Coos Bay, Oregon.^[4] His father, Raymond Prefontaine, was a carpenter and a welder after his time serving in the U.S. Army in World War II. Steve's mother, Elfriede, worked as a seamstress. The two returned to Coos Bay after Ray had met Elfriede in Germany while serving with the U.S. Army occupation forces.^[5] He had two sisters, Neta and Linda, and they all grew up in a house built by their father.^[6]

Prefontaine was a rambunctious person, even during his formative years. He was always moving around, partaking in different activities.^[6] In junior high, Prefontaine was on his school’s football and basketball teams, but was rarely allowed to play because of his short stature.^[6][7][8] 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.^[6] By the second week of the daily mile runs, Prefontaine was able to finish second in the group. With this new-found success, he fell in love with cross country.^[8]

High school (1965–1969)

When he began high school at Marshfield High School in 1965, Prefontaine joined the cross country team, coached by Walt McClure, Jr.^[9] McClure had run under coach Bill Bowerman at the University of Oregon and his father, Walt McClure, Sr. had run under Bill Hayward, also at Oregon.^[7]

Prefontaine's freshman and sophomore years were decent, and he managed a 5:01 mile personal best in his first year. Though starting out as the seventh man, he progressed to be the second by the end of the year and placed 53rd in the State Championship.^[9] In his sophomore year, he failed to qualify for the state meet in his event, the two-mile. However, his coach recalls that it was his sophomore year where his potential in the sport really began to surface.^[9]

With the advice of Walt McClure, Prefontaine’s high school coach, he took it upon himself to train hard over the summer.^[9] He went through his junior cross country season undefeated and won the state title.^[9][10]

In his senior year, many of his highest goals were set. He obtained a national record at the Corvallis Invitational with a time of 8:41.5, only one and a half seconds slower than his goal, and 6.9 seconds better than the previous record.^[7][10] He won two more State titles that year after another undefeated season in both the one and two mile distances.^[7]

Prefontaine was recruited by 40 colleges across the nation,^[8][11] and he received numerous phone calls, letters, and drop-in visits from coaches. Prefontaine referred many of his calls to McClure, who wanted Prefontaine to attend the University of Oregon. McClure turned away those universities that began recruiting him late.^[8][12] McClure maintained that he did not sway Prefontaine's collegiate choice, except to ask Steve where all the distance runners went to college.^[7]

Prefontaine wanted to stay in-state for college ^[12] and attend the University of Oregon.^[8] Sadly, he had not heard much from Bill Bowerman, the head coach for the University of Oregon. Prefontaine only received letters from Oregon once a month whereas other universities such as Villanova were persistent in recruiting him. As a result, Prefontaine did not know how much Bill Bowerman wanted him to attend Oregon.^[8][12] Bowerman stated that he did not recruit Prefontaine differently from anyone else. It was a matter of principle for him to advise recruits where to attend college, wherever it may be, and to not flood the recruits with correspondence.^[8] Bowerman had followed Prefontaine's career since he was a sophomore and agreed with McClure in his assessment of Steve being a good runner.^[12]

It wasn't until Prefontaine read a letter from Bill Bowerman that he made up his mind to attend the University of Oregon. Bowerman wrote that he was certain Prefontaine would become the world's greatest distance runner if he decided to run at Oregon. Although it was an odd promise, Prefontaine was up for the challenge.^[8][12] Sometime after Prefontaine announced that he signed a letter of intent to attend the University of Oregon on the first of May in 1969,^[11] Bowerman wrote a letter addressed to the community of Coos Bay describing his appreciation for their role in helping Steve become a great runner.^[12]

College (1970–1973)

Prefontaine was recruited by several top track programs across the United States, but decided to enroll at the University of Oregon to train under coach Bill Bowerman (who in 1964 co-founded Blue Ribbon Sports, later known as Nike). In 1972 he began his training for the upcoming Olympic Games in Munich. He was defeated only twice for the rest of his college career, both times in the mile. He also won four 5,000 meter titles in track three times in a row. At this time, he suffered only two more defeats in college (both in the mile), winning three Division I NCAA Cross Country Championships and four straight three-mile/5000-meter titles in track. He was a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

Prefontaine became a very aggressive front runner, insisting on going out hard and not relinquishing leads, reminiscent of the 1956 Olympic gold medalist Vladimir Kuts, another famous front runner at 5,000 meters. Prefontaine was quoted as saying, "No one will ever win a 5,000 meter by running an easy two miles. Not against me." He would later state, "I am going to work so that it's a pure guts race. In the end, if it is, I'm the only one that can win it". Despite his reputation for leading early instead of holding back until the last lap, Prefontaine had tremendous leg speed; his career best for the mile (3:54.6) was only 3.5 seconds off the world record at the time.

A local celebrity, chants of "Pre! Pre! Pre!" became a frequent feature at Hayward Field, a mecca for track and field in the USA. Fans wore t-shirts that read "LEGEND", while those who supported other teams wore shirts with the phrase "STOP PRE" printed on a stop sign. Prefontaine gained national attention and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated at age 19 in June 1970.^[8] He was on the cover of Track and Field News's November 1969 issue.^[13]

Prefontaine set the American record in the 5000 meters at the 1972 Olympic Trials in Eugene on July 9.^[14] An underdog at the 1972 Olympics in Munich in September,^[15] Prefontaine took the lead in the 5,000 m final during the last mile and ended the slow pace of the first two miles, negative splitting the race. In second place at the start of the bell lap, he fell back to third with 200 meters to go. Lasse Virén took the lead in the final turn over silver medalist Mohammed Gammoudi. Prefontaine ran out of gas with 30 meters to go as Britain's hard-charging Ian Stewart caught him from behind and moved into third place within ten meters of the finish, depriving Prefontaine of an Olympic bronze medal.^[16][17]

In his four years at Oregon, Prefontaine never lost a collegiate (NCAA) race at 3 miles/5,000 meters or 6 miles/10,000 meters. Returning for his senior year, he ended his collegiate career with only three defeats in Eugene, all in the mile. It was during this year that Prefontaine began a protracted fight with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), which demanded that athletes who wanted to remain "amateur" for the Olympics not be paid for appearances in track meets. Some viewed this arrangement as unfair, because the participants drew large crowds that generated millions of dollars in revenue, with the athletes being forced to shoulder the burden of all their own expenses without assistance. At the time, the AAU was rescinding athletes' amateur status if they were endorsed in any way. Because Prefontaine was accepting free clothes and footwear from Nike, he was subject to the AAU's ruling.

After college (1974–1975)

Following his collegiate career at Oregon, Prefontaine prepared for the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal. While running for the Oregon Track Club, Pre set American records in every race from 2,000 to 10,000 meters.^[10] In 1974, Prefontaine was invited to give a presentation at a banquet. It was held in Eugene, Oregon, 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.^[18]

Death

In the spring of 1975, a group of traveling Finnish athletes (without Lasse Virén) took part in an NCAA Prep meet at Hayward Field in Eugene. After the event on Thursday, May 29, which included a 5,000-meter race that Prefontaine won, the Finnish and American athletes attended a party. While returning from the party shortly after midnight,^[19] Prefontaine was driving on Skyline Boulevard, east of the University of Oregon campus near Hendricks Park. His orange 1973 MGB convertible swerved into a rock wall (44°02′36″N 123°03′18″W / 44.0433°N 123.0549°W / 44.0433; -123.0549) and flipped, trapping Prefontaine underneath it.^[3][20] A nearby resident was first on the scene and reported he found Prefontaine flat on his back, still alive but pinned beneath the wreck. By the time medics arrived, he was pronounced dead. It had been reported that his blood alcohol content was 0.16 by the Eugene Police Department;^[20] however the accuracy of reported value is disputed by some other testing procedures.^[21]

Prefontaine is buried at Sunset Memorial Park in Coos Bay.^[22] A day after his funeral in Coos Bay, a memorial service at Hayward Field in Eugene drew thousands.^[23]

Aftermath

The Eugene Register-Guard called his death "the end of an era."^[3] By the time of his death, Prefontaine was probably the most popular athlete in Oregon, who, along with Jim Ryun, Frank Shorter and Bill Rodgers, was credited with sparking the running boom of the 1970s.^[24][25] An annual track event, the Prefontaine Classic, has been held in his honor 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.^[26] Two days after Prefontaines'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.^[23][27]

Throughout his career, Prefontaine won 120 of the 153 races he ran (.784), and never lost a collegiate (NCAA) race at the University of Oregon.

Memorials

Pre's rock

Pre's Rock is a memorial at the site of the roadside boulder where Prefontaine died. The memorial features a plaque with a picture of Prefontaine that reads:

For your dedication and loyalty
To your principles and beliefs...
For your love, warmth, and friendship
For your family and friends...
You are missed by so many
And you will never be forgotten...

Runners inspired by Prefontaine leave behind memorabilia to honor his memory and his continued influence, such as race numbers, medals, and running shoes. Paying such homage to Prefontaine has become a tradition that reaches a height during important or noteworthy running events in Eugene (e.g. the Olympic Trials or the Prefontaine Classic).

Pre's Rock was dedicated 18 years ago in December 1997 and is maintained by Eugene Parks and Recreation as Prefontaine Memorial Park.^[28] The rock (44°02′36″N 123°03′18″W / 44.0433°N 123.0549°W / 44.0433; -123.0549) is a mile (1.6 km) due east of Hayward Field, just across the Willamette River from the east end of Pre's Trail.

Other memorials

The Prefontaine Memorial, featuring a relief of his face, records, and date of birth, is located at the Coos Bay Visitor Center in Coos Bay. In 2008, ten memorial plaques were laid along the Prefontaine Memorial Race route, the former training grounds of Prefontaine. The plaques bear an image of Prefontaine from his high school yearbook and various quotes and records from his time in Coos Bay. The plaques were part of a grant from the Oregon Tourism Commission, the Coos Bay-North Bend Visitor & Convention Bureau, and the Prefontaine Memorial Committee.

Each year on the third Saturday of September in Coos Bay, over 1000 runners engage in the Prefontaine Memorial Run, a 10k run honoring his accomplishments.^[29]

The Coos Art Museum in Coos Bay contains a section dedicated to Prefontaine. This section includes medals he won during his career and the pair of spikes he wore when setting an American record for the 5,000 meters at Hayward Field.

Prefontaine was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame in 1983, where several exhibits showcase his shoes, shirts, and other memorabilia. He was also inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in upper Manhattan^[30] where one of his Oregon track uniforms is on display.

The Pete Susick Stadium at Marshfield High School in Coos Bay dedicated their track to honor Prefontaine, in April 2001.^[31]

Nike used video footage in a commercial titled "Pre Lives" advertising his spirit for their product. On the 30th anniversary of his death, Nike placed a memorial in Sports Illustrated, and aired a television commercial in his honor. Nike's headquarters have a building named after him.^[32]

Portrayals in mass media

Steve Prefontaine's life story has been detailed in two dramatic films: 1997's Prefontaine (starring Jared Leto as Prefontaine) and 1998's Without Limits (starring Billy Crudup as Prefontaine), as well as the documentary film Fire on the Track.

Personal bests

At the time of his death in May 1975, Prefontaine held every American outdoor track record between 2,000 and 10,000 meters.

Surface	Event	Time	Date	Location	Notes
Outdoor  track	1,500 m	3:38.1	June 28, 1973	Helsinki	11th place finish[33]
	Mile	3:54.6	June 20, 1973	Eugene	runner-up to Dave Wottle[34]
	2,000 m	5:01.4	May 9, 1975	Coos Bay	American record[35][36]
	3,000 m	7:42.6	July 2, 1974	Milan	American record, broken by Rudy Chapa, May 10, 1979[36][37]
	Two miles	8:18.3	July 18, 1974	Stockholm	American record, broken by Marty Liquori, July 17, 1976[36][37]
	Three miles	12:51.4	June 8, 1974	Eugene	American record[36]
	5,000 m	13:21.9	June 26, 1974	Helsinki	American record, broken by Duncan Macdonald, August 10, 1976[36][37]
	Six miles	26:51.4	April 27, 1974	Eugene	American record, set in the first six miles of his 10,000 m record run (below)[36][38]
	10,000 m	27:43.6	April 27, 1974	Eugene	American record, broken by Craig Virgin, June 17, 1979[36][37]

• Conversions: 1 mile (1,609.3 m), 2 miles (3,218.7 m), 3 miles (4,828 m), 6 miles (9,656 m)

Competition record

Notable performances

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Time	Notes
1968	Corvallis Invitational	Corvallis, Oregon	1st	2 mile	9:01.3	Oregon high school record
1969	Corvallis Invitational	Corvallis, Oregon	1st	2 mile	8:41.5	US high school record
	Coos County Meet	Coos Bay, Oregon	1st	Mile	4:06.9	Oregon high school record
	US-USSR-Commonwealth Meet	Los Angeles, California	5th	5000 m	14:40.0	First international track meet
1970	Oregon Twilight Meet	Eugene, Oregon	3rd	Mile	3:57.4	First sub-4 min. mile
1971	Oregon vs. UCLA	Westwood, Los Angeles, California	1st	Mile	3:59.1
	Oregon Twilight Meet	Eugene, Oregon	2nd	Mile	3:57.4
	US vs. USSR All Stars	Berkeley, California	1st	5000 m	13:30.4	American record
	Pan American Games	Cali, Colombia	1st	5000 m	13:52.53
1972	Oregon Indoor Invitational	Portland, Oregon	1st	2 mile	8:26.6	Collegiate record
	All-Comers Spring Break Meet	Bakersfield, California	1st	6 mile	27:22.4	Collegiate record
	Oregon Twilight Meet	Eugene, Oregon	1st	Mile	3:56.7
	Oregon vs. Washington St.	Eugene, Oregon	1st	5000 m	13:29.6	American record
	Rose Festival	Gresham, Oregon	1st	3000 m	7:45.8	American record
	US Olympic Trials	Eugene, Oregon	1st	5000 m	13:22.8[39]	American record
	Bislett Games	Oslo, Norway	2nd	1500 m	3:39.4
			1st	3000 m	7:44.2	American record
	Olympic Games	Munich, Germany	4th	5000 m	13:28.4
	Zauli Memorial	Rome, Italy	2nd	5000 m	13:26.4	Three days after Olympics
1973	Sunkist Invitational Indoor Meet	Los Angeles, California	1st	2 mile	8:27.4
	LA Times Invitational Indoor Games	Inglewood, California	1st	Mile	3:59.2
	Oregon Twilight II Meet	Eugene, Oregon	1st	2 mile	8:24.6	American indoor record
	Hayward Field Restoration Meet	Eugene, Oregon	2nd	Mile	3:54.6	personal best[34]
	World Games	Helsinki, Finland	2nd	5000 m	13:22.4	American record
1974	Sunkist Invitational Indoor Meet	Los Angeles, California	1st	2 mile	8:33.0
	LA Times Invitational Indoor Games	Inglewood, California	2nd	Mile	3:59.5
	Oregon Twilight Meet	Eugene, Oregon	1st	10,000 m	27:43.6	American record; set American 6 mile record (26:51.4) en route
	Hayward Field Restoration Meet	Eugene, Oregon	1st	3 mile	12:51.4	American record
	World Games	Helsinki, Finland	2nd	5000 m	13:31.9	American record
	International Meet	Milan, Italy	2nd	3000 m	7:42.6	American record
	July Games	Stockholm, Sweden	3rd	2 mile	8:18.4	American record
1975	CYO Invitational Indoor Meet	College Park, Maryland	2nd	Mile	3:58.6
	Sunkist Invitational Indoor Meet	Los Angeles, California	1st	2 mile	8:27.4
	Oregon Twilight Meet	Eugene, Oregon	1st	10,000 m	28:09.4
	Finnish Tour	Coos Bay, Oregon	1st	2000 m	5:01.4	American record[35]
	California Relays	Modesto, California	1st	2 mile	8:36.4
	NCAA Prep	Eugene, Oregon	1st	5000 m	13:23.8	Final race and 25th straight win in a distance over a mile

US National Championships

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
1969	AAU Track and Field Championships	Miami, Florida	4th	3 mile	13:43.0[a][40]
1970	AAU Track and Field Championships	Bakersfield, California	5th	3 mile	13:26.0[40]
1971	AAU Track and Field Championships	Eugene, Oregon	1st	3 mile	12:58.6[b][40]
1973	AAU Track and Field Championships	Bakersfield, California	1st	3 mile	12:53.4[c][40]

^a Third fastest 3-mile time ever ran by an American high schooler; Prefontaine's first non-high school track meet

^b US National championships meet record; fifth fastest 3-mile time ever ran and the second fastest by an American; Prefontaine's first sub-13 minute 3-mile^[40]

^c Broke his own 1971 US National championships meet record; second fastest 3-mile time ever ran by an American^[40]

NCAA championships

While at Oregon Prefontaine won seven NCAA national titles: three in cross country, '70, '71 and '73; and four in track, '70, '71, '72 and '73. He was the first athlete to win four NCAA track titles in the same event.

Cross country

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
Representing Oregon
1969	NCAA Cross Country Championships	The Bronx, New York	3rd	29:12.0[41]
1970	NCAA Cross Country Championships	Williamsburg, Virginia	1st	28.00.2[42]
1971	NCAA Cross Country Championships	Knoxville, Tennessee	1st	29:14.0[43]
1973	NCAA Cross Country Championships	Spokane, Washington	1st	28:14.8[44]

• Prefontaine redshirted the Fall of 1972 after the Olympics which made him eligible to run cross country in the fall of 1973.

Track and field

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing Oregon
1970	NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships	Des Moines, Iowa	1st	3 mile	13:22.0[a][45]
1971	NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships	Seattle, Washington	1st	3 mile	13:20.1[46]
1972	NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships	Eugene, Oregon	1st	5000 m[b]	13:31.4[c][47]
1973	NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships	Baton Rouge, Louisiana	1st	3 mile	13:05.3[d][48]

^a NCAA meet record

^b A 5000 m race was held this year rather than a 3 mile race

^c NCAA meet record for 5000 m; broke Gerry Lindgren's 1968 record of 13:57.2

^d Broke his own NCAA meet record and set a stadium record^[48]

Oregon State high school championships

During his junior and senior years at Marshfield High School Prefontaine went undefeated in both cross country and track.

Cross country

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Notes
Representing Marshfield High School
1965	Oregon State Cross Country Championships		53rd	NT[49]
1966	Oregon State Cross Country Championships		6th	12:36[50]
1967	Oregon State Cross Country Championships		1st	12:13.8[51]
1968	Oregon State Cross Country Championships		1st	11:30.2[52]

Track and field

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
Representing Marshfield High School
1968	Oregon State Track and Field Championships	Corvallis, Oregon	1st	2 mile	9:02.7[53]
1969	Oregon State Track and Field Championships	Corvallis, Oregon	1st	Mile	4:08.4[54]
			1st	2 mile	9:03.0[54]

References

Cited texts

• Jordan, Tom (1997). Pre: The Story of America's Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine (2 ed.). Rodale Books. ISBN 978-0-87596-457-7. 

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Steve Prefontaine.

Wikiquote has quotations related to: Steve Prefontaine

• Official website
• Prefontaine Classic
• University of Oregon Athletics: Steve Prefontaine, bio & pix
• Prefontaine at the Internet Movie Database
• Without Limits at the Internet Movie Database
• Steve Prefontaine at Find a Grave

Modern history of Oregon (1890–present) Topics Tax revolt Governors Bottle Bill Centennial Tokens "Roll On, Columbia, Roll On" Meier & Frank Willamette Industries Direct Legislation League Events USS Oregon Lewis & Clark Expo Oregon land fraud scandal Lookout Air Raids Columbus Day Storm Exploding whale 1977 NBA Finals 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens Rajneeshee bioterror attack Rajneeshee assassination plot New Carissa Willamette Valley Flood Places Bonneville Dam Celilo Falls Copperfield Fort Stevens Harbor Drive Kaiser Shipyards Shanghai tunnels Vanport Politicians Victor G. Atiyeh George Chamberlain David B. Frohnmayer Neil Goldschmidt Mark Hatfield Nan Wood Honeyman Tom McCall Douglas McKay Charles McNary Wayne Morse Maurine Neuberger Norma Paulus Barbara Roberts James H. Weaver Other Oregonians Terry Baker Pietro Belluschi Gert Boyle Abigail Scott Duniway James A. Fee Matt Groening Ken Kesey Phil Knight Ursula K. Le Guin Hall S. Lusk Brian McMenamin Bill Naito Steve Prefontaine Jack Ramsay Henry Weinhard History of Oregon's native peoples of Oregon to 1806 of pioneers in Oregon of Oregon in modern times

National Distance Running Hall of Fame inductees 1998: Joan Benoit Ted Corbitt Bill Rodgers Frank Shorter Kathrine Switzer 1999: Johnny Kelley Nina Kuscsik Francie Larrieu Smith Billy Mills 2000: Clarence DeMar Steve Prefontaine Alberto Salazar Grete Waitz 2001: Bill Dellinger Lynn Jennings Fred Lebow Craig Virgin 2002: Bill Bowerman Doris Brown Heritage John J. Kelley Browning Ross 2003: Mary Decker Jim Ryun George Young 2004: None 2005: Don Kardong Greg Meyer Bob Schul 2006: Patti Catalano Gerry Lindgren Marty Liquori 2007: None 2008: Amby Burfoot Johnny Hayes Priscilla Welch 2009: None 2010: Dick Beardsley Miki Gorman 2011:       2012: Horace Ashenfelter Glenn Cunningham Jacqueline Hansen 2013:       2014: Tom Fleming Kim Merritt

Pan American Champions in Men's 5000 m 1951: Ricardo Bralo (ARG) 1955: Osvaldo Suárez (ARG) 1959: Bill Dellinger (USA) 1963: Osvaldo Suárez (ARG) 1967: Van Nelson (USA) 1971: Steve Prefontaine (USA) 1975: Domingo Tibaduiza (COL) 1979: Matt Centrowitz (USA) 1983: Eduardo Castro (MEX) 1987 – 1991: Arturo Barrios (MEX) 1995: Armando Quintanilla (MEX) 1999: David Galván (MEX) 2003: Hudson de Souza (BRA) 2007: Ed Moran (USA) 2011: Juan Luis Barrios (MEX)

US National Championship winners in Men's 5000 m, 2 miles or 3 miles 1878-2011 1878: William Duffey 1879: P.J. McDonald 1880-94: Not Held 1895: Charles Bean 1896: Ernest Hjertberg 1897-1902: Not Held 1903-04: Alex Grant 1905: Sanford Lyon 1906-1932: Not Held 1933: John Follows 1934: Frank Crowley 1935: Joe McCluskey 1936: Don Lash 1937: Joe McCluskey 1938-42: Greg Rice 1943: Gunder Hägg 1944: Jim Rafferty 1945: John Kandl 1946: Francis Martin 1947-48: Curt Stone 1949-51: Fred Wilt 1952: Curt Stone 1953: Charles Capozzoli 1954-55: Horace Ashenfelter 1956: Dick Hart 1957: John Macy 1958: Alex Henderson 1959-60: Bill Dellinger 1961: László Tábori 1962: Murray Halberg - Max Truex 1963: Pat Clohessy 1964-65: Bob Schul 1966: George Young 1967: Gerry Lindgren 1968: Bob Day 1969: Tracy Smith 1970: Frank Shorter 1971: Steve Prefontaine 1972: Mike Keough 1973: Steve Prefontaine 1974: Dick Buerkle 1975: Marty Liquori 1976: Dick Buerkle 1977: Marty Liquori 1978: Marty Liquori 1979-82: Matt Centrowitz 1983: Doug Padilla 1984: Sydney Maree 1985-86: Doug Padilla 1987: Sydney Maree 1988: Doug Padilla 1989: Tim Hacker 1990: Doug Padilla 1991-92: John Trautmann 1993-94: Matt Giusto 1995-97: Bob Kennedy 1998: Marc Davis 1999-2000: Adam Goucher 2001: Bob Kennedy 2002: Alan Culpepper 2003-05: Tim Broe 2006-08: Bernard Lagat 2009: Matt Tegenkamp 2010-11: Bernard Lagat 2012: Galen Rupp 2013: Bernard Lagat

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