Pre’s Rock
Located at Skyline Boulevard and Birch Lane near Hendrick’s Park, Pre’s Rock is the site of legendary Steve Prefontaine’s fatal car crash in 1975. Today it’s tradition for runners to pay tribute by decorating the famous memorial with shoes, race bibs, medals, and other small tokens of respect.
Born January 25th 1951, Steve Prefontaine earned legendary rock star status with an aggressive up-front racing style and an edgy lifestyle outside the track. With a cult-like following, Prefontaine simultaneously held seven American records in events from the 2k to the 10k. He was also a high school phenom, breaking the American high school record in the 2mile. During the 1972 Olympics, Prefontaine led the 5000 meter race with 600 meters to go, fell off of the leaders with less than a lap left, then pushed back to the front pack again‚ only to lose in a climatic sprint resulting in a 4th place finish. Had Pre, from the gun, dictated the race with his standard up-front racing strategy, perhaps the final result would have been more favorable to the young star.
Three years after Munich, Steve Prefontaine met his tragic fate. On a late summer night, after dropping Frank Shorter off from a party, Pre flipped his orange MG on Skyline Rd, pinning his body in a fatal position beneath his car. Discovered by a neighbor, Pre was pronounced dead before reaching the hospital.
The impact of Prefontaine extends to today: Pre tee-shirts dominate track and field meets, Without Limits, a famous big screen depiction of Pre’s life, is the standard pump-up running movie, and even modern track and field superstars like Anthony Famighlietti model their race strategies after Prefontaine. Steve Prefontaine also took monumental steps to encourage honest amateur laws with the Amateur Athletic Union, promoting open communication and fair pay laws.
Pre’s rock is the ultimate destination to pay respect to Steve Prefontaine, a timeless legend who forever rocked the track and field world.
Written by Zak Weinberg for DiscoverEugene.com