We wanted it all for this prodigy from Coos Bay. He embodied and personified the spirit of running so consummately, with a transcendent charisma that captivated. He left us, but this spirit lives on, eternally. What a gift. God bless you Pre.
I have to say that all this footage makes me tear up a bit...God, he was so talented. If only he'd been able to compete in the '76 Olympics...you can't help but imagine what might have been. Great video.
pre ran every race like it was the olympics. thats why hes the legend. 100% all the time. not many runners can say that. he won over 80% of the 169 or so races he was in after high school. i love watching the LA times mile in 73 where he runs sub 4 min and beats all the specialists at their own game.
The way he ran was awesome and he wasnt even built like a runner. It was amazing what he was able to do for a guy with his build. He was built more like a miler.
have you never seen gladiator? this song is perfect its celebrating his wonderful yet brief life. showing his fantastic talent and spirit. and the song is appily named 'now we are free' (i think anyways)
Great movie & song- Now we are free- The final gladiator match in which maximus wins. Had Pre not died in a car wreck, he would've been the 1st runner to break 13 minutes for the 5K.
Alright fine, I'll be specific. Viren pulled his left hamstring muscle. "We were in Lapland, in a training camp. Lasse had to hold ice on his leg three times a day. Once he ran too hard and the next morning he could hardly stand. Lasse threw his running shoes right into the lake. I went to him...." This was said by his coach.
@YiftertheShifter1 pre's last last race was a 5k with frank. frank had just had teeth pulled i think a day or 2 before. Frank wasn't at his best, but neither was pre. he had been doing alot organizing and less training for the finn meet in the preceeding 4 weeks. they had run at coos bay,madras,hayward field etc. the 12:51 race there was tailwind so pre and frank took turns each lap drafting each other to go for the AR. ken moore and phil knight talk about how thats the one pre should have lost.
Ghost from the past: "Viren goes for home, Gammoudi is bankrupt, SO TO IS PREFONTAINE... and the Finn goes in now for his second gold medal, and Stewart with the late run! THE FINN WINS, Gammoudi second, Stewart gets the bronze, PREFONTAINE DIES IN THE FINAL STRIDES." Just in case you had forgotten.
i like a quote by ian stewart. " first is first and second is nowhere'' . he then said he should took his medal and threw it in the grandstands. he felt he ran poorly i guess.
thnx for info on bob's 12 58 in zurich. could he run 12 58 u think without a faster runner in field? seems like a time like that for him had the right pacing and weather conditions i'd assume. geb's 12 37 amazes me when i watch. he runs almost mile and half without his pacesetters. even the commentator keeps saying a WR is above him. haile is a machine. haile has every runners respect worldwide.
Well, first it was 12:39 (12:37 by Bekele, the video of which I'm dying to see), but Gebre's run was phenomenal. He was a man with the fitness to run WRs with the devastating turning speed over the final 400 meters. He's without a doubt the greatest there's ever been.
Bob Kennedy ran his 12:58.21 in Zurich '96 behind Daniel Komen's 12:45.xx (then the second fastest run), Gebreselassie (sore after Atlanta), and maybe a few others.
Well, for sure Viren would not shy away from any challenge. He used everything, even races like the European championships, to prepare for the Olympics.
Indeed! Viren used everything at his disposal to win, just like Lance Armstrong, they both blood-doped, used steroids and reindeer milk & Goat Sperm & the male bull's nutbag mixed with horse penis, grilled over easy.
Well, he was lucky that Pre faded, having run a poor tactical race in Munich. I wouldn't be too happy if I medalled the way he did, but the fact is that Pre's "guts" were too heavy to move in the last 100 meters. He made a brave effort, I agree; if that is what Pre fans say, then I must say I believe them. If the argument is that he would have certainly won in Montreal, using the same display of reckless courage, I'd have to say they are crazy.
Okay, I understand. I'm a short one as well; I like saying that the best distance runners in the world are 5 foot 5 (though Viren was some 6 feet tall). So, we can agree to disagree on only a few things, but otherwise we admire the same people for the same reasons.
ive watched the end of this race many times. look closely during the last lap at 12:57 pre's head turns to the right twds the stands. almost like looking for something thats not there that day. maybe a kick needed to win? that precise moment i think he realizes he is beat this time. afterall he hardly ever lost at middle distance. Any expert opinions have a view different? Please comment about 12 57 during the race.
Here's a little anecdote: At last years' Olympic games, the French 4x100 relay (for swimming, not really sure which stroke) vowed to humiliate the Americans. In the end, the Americans pulled out ahead in the final meters, and the French were the ones humiliated. A little unrelated, I know, but the presumption that Prefontaine was sure to have won had he been in Montreal, and especially how it really turned out, I would think those who make this presumption will be bitterly disappointed.
whats amazing is pre's dream 3 mile was 12:36. so that would be around 13 flat for 5k. pre couldnt have even envisioned a 12 37 5k. by the way i just saw the fire on the track with 3.5 hours of bonus footage of interviews of pre's friends, competitors, and coaches. it's a must see for anyone interested in sport and competition. if u get a chance watch it people. great documentary with no hollywood. or as i like to call it hollywierd.
I enjoy the video but am Confused about the music....What song is this so I might upload it..says Rhythm of love but I find no match as of yet... oh PS: Pre lives within the running/racing spirit of which is a great life force.
He did exactly what he promised, he promised people a show and he delivered the goods, his races were a work of art, Virens were just people running, he had style, if you don't like Pre don't go to the video and bitch about shit.
@raysalsa1 I thought their race was over 3 miles- Pre won in 12:51, Shorter was second in 12:52. I don't know if this is true, but Shorter's official PB is 12:52 over 3 miles.
@ww1313 I know this is a year later and all, but Dathan Ritzenheim is a 12:56 5000m time, saw it last year, so nothing on you because of the time frame, but his AR is dropped
they put 12 36 on the clock at his eulogy at heyward field because that was his goal. 12 laps at 63 second pace thats the idea. will never know what he could have done. i wont say he would won in montreal like many others. however the first 2 miles would been faster than in munich. watch fire on the track and 3 hours of interviews. I guarentee u will like it. it's not like the the 2 hollywood film's about him. the stories are great in bonus footage. the actual documenntary in about 1 hr.
Third, Lagat was 33, way past his best years (around the age most athletes retire). Fourth, Lagat had to save something to qualify for the 1500m. Pre, unlike Lagat and Viren, did not try two events; only the one he thought he'd win. Fifth, Lagat had an achilles tendon injury and a viral infection prior to the games. I don't think he would have won (at least, in the 5K), but he was not at his best health. We'll see in Berlin how he's doing.
@YiftertheShifter1 You did a bit but I get what your saying I just didn't want this to get political anyway just out of curiosity are you a runner or a lover of the sport I mean whats your running background?
I like to think Viren was doping, but my instincts tell me he wasn't. The 70's was the best era for running, it was before all the performance enhancing drugs. Pre was the best though.
@BrianBaldino1 well, i dont believe that Viren was doping either, but the Germans were under suspicion for blood doping in the 70's so you cant say that there were no short cuts in this age....
@MyFreedMan Three (or was it four) of Michael Johnson's teammates were found guilty in Balco... does that mean MJ was guilty? And clarify what you mean by having his "whole team" caught... The only distance runners I can think of are Maaninka confessing and Vaainio being caught... any others? How can you prove Viren's guilt, other than by association?
1. Viren did not chicken out of Pre's challenge, he was injured. 2. Pre proved he couldn't be "tough" when he was tested at the highest level, the Munich Olympics. Viren proved that he had the courage, guts, and speed to beat Pre and the rest of the world in four unduplicable performance, all undisputably worthy of gold medals. Pre lost. Viren won. The story ends there, now quit tarnishing one of the greatest olympic athletes in history.
@raysalsa1 Shorter was 5th in the 10000m final, so I wouldn't say that he hasn't the ability to make the final of the 5000m. I think at some points he was ranked pretty high up in the 5000m (in the US). Even so, that Shorter can even compete with Pre over 3 miles while being a top marathon competitor shows quite a range. In today's age, most top class marathon runners can't compete in events lower than 10K.
i looked it up bob ran 13:12.35 in atlanta. winning time was 13:07.96 and yeah he was 6th. very respectable runner. i wonder what kind a pacing was happening he ran sub 13 minutes? I believe right now it would take sub12:50 for an american runner to win an olympics. i suppose a situation were an african runner gets citizenship in us like lagat did later in life is what would need to happen. us athletes arent a medal threats right now in middle distance.
Okay, so what? he did run some tactics and he did some front running, when he got to a professional level, he started to run tactics. You may be a die hard Pre fan but a lot of people are, I know I am, but I actually read up on Pre for splits, his tactics, and miscellaneous. He'd run consecutive 4:25 miles then he'd do what any runner does and pick it up in the last mile and run a 4:08. A true fan would've known that.
Anyone who runs balls out the whole race will have a 1 in 10 shot of winning, it is a lot easier to pass the person you are pacing off of or a meter behind, I've passed numerous people with my kick that way, its tactics, Pre used them but not for Munich. I notice everythime I front run it doesn't necessarily work because sometimes I'll get winded or passed in the last 100m, mind you I run 4:18 mile so its not a Olympic pace but every time I race either in amateur races I get passed because of it
Nope you are incorrect, Pre had used tactics, he did it in quite a few races actually, he did it in his Olympic trials, guts and determination only gets you so far, and he knew that. He got better when he started to think it out, he even tried tactics at Munich I think, or he went balls out I don't remember. I don't have it all wrong you do.
@YiftertheShifter1 FOTtrack documentary there is a 10minute interview with frank. pre called frank up on phone to ask him to run in the finnish meet at hayward field which was the day died. pre won that 5k in 13:23 which dismantled the whole field including frank. frank said there was no way at that time he was going to be able to be competitive with pre at the 3mile/5k. hey i like and respect frank also, but lets face it no american could compete with pre at that distance. shorter was great.
Raysalsa, much as I respect both Bekele and Geb, we have to remember that they are an era way beyond that of the 1970s, where tracks, training methods, and pacing is a lot different. Geb, in his 5000m WR, was frontrunning a field whose talent was nowhere near his own, not a championship field (where he usually sits behind the leader's shoulder). While he may have a PR way faster than Viren and Pre... their olympic record are nowhere near Viren's.
Bekele & Geb & El-G were EPO cheats, while Viren was part of Finland's Notorious Blood Doping Olympic Team in 1972 & 1973. Lasse had trained at altitude in Kenya for 4 months prior to the Olympic Games and he had that high test blood (mega red blood cells) withdrawn from him & 2 weeks before the Olympic Games, he had the high test blood infused back into his system. Lasse was simply unbeatable with that winning formula. If he had been pushed, he could've ran 10 seconds faster.
No, I'm just fine. I'm sorry if the way I spoke offended you. It's just when I'm dealing with people who stick with stupid one-liners, I use sensitive information to get them to shut up. I guess I did go over the top on this one...
@raysalsa1 Ryan Hall got tenth in Beijing, Frank Shorter got a gold in '72 for the marathon and a silver in '76. Tyson Gay just recently beat Usain Bolt, 100m world record holder. There are many good american runners, be careful what you say
Competition was hurder that ttime in Europe. In Europe there was more quality runners - big boys:) Foster, Steward, Väätänen, Viren, Päivärinta, Puttemans...
the only reason why Viren won was because he was blood doping... he admited to it later. Pre would have placed in munich, not saying he would have won but he would have finished 3rd
Pre was a champion and a legend but dont disrespect Viren who was a four time gold medal winner and champion. There is no documented proof that Viren doped and I dont think Pre would want excuses made. What about the other two guys who beat Pre at Munich? We all love Pre and he had a hell of a shot for gold in 76. His 13:21 at the 72 trials would have won gold in 72 and 76. Just dont throw mud in his name.
@jonnybravo8 nick is great. however, the 800 is more about speed and less about guts. the 800 at trials at hayward field last year was exciting race. he doesnt have the persona pre had to promote the sport. maybe if he was great at a few more distances and was more outspoken he could fill pre's shoes.
1. Lasse Viren: 13:26.4 OR 2. Mohammad Gammoudi: 13:27.4 3. Ian Stewart: 13:27.76 4. Steve Prefontaine: 13:28.4 Just can't accept that, can you? Why would Viren be afraid of a guy he beat by two seconds (a good 15 meters)?
Viren wasn't afraid of anyone! The reindeer blood was Finland's secret formula that goes back to the days of the Flying Finns who trained at altitude and had their blood drawn and just before the Olympic Games they would have blood infusions.
its munich not munchen but anyways ya he ran a faster time than the winner of that race before. its because the pace of the race was too slow and since he couldnt out sprint the other people he came in 4th.
I'm just saying I liked Pre's style more than Virens, and he might of lost but he definitely has better fan base then Viren, but before you say that's not true it's opinion.
track and field in america is badly lacking today because someone like pre isn't around. we have had and still have great athletes today but no one with close to the charisma and integrity of pre. thats a fact that can't be disputed. you have to admit alot of runners are great but look frail and dorky looking also. the USA is image oriented and that brings popularity. not to say thats right or just but a fact. pre definitely had a look unlike the other runners.
![NISAMANEE - TADA (ท้าดา) [ OFFICIAL MV ]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/hcQHEPMmJpU/mqdefault.jpg)
What guts he had!
he is a legend and i will be better live on PRE
PRE FOREVER
We wanted it all for this prodigy from Coos Bay. He embodied and personified the spirit of running so consummately, with a transcendent charisma that captivated. He left us, but this spirit lives on, eternally. What a gift. God bless you Pre.
I have to say that all this footage makes me tear up a bit...God, he was so talented. If only he'd been able to compete in the '76 Olympics...you can't help but imagine what might have been. Great video.
omg this vedoe is awsome he is the best runner ever i wish i could run liek that...free he was the best ever
THE SPIRIT OF PRE LIVES FOREVER!!!
i can only imagine what he would have done had he lived a full life. running as we know it would be completely different.
Nice work! What an icon that guy is, especially for someone who came of age in the '70s--like me.
R.I.P. steve prefontaine, had your life cut short. run in the fields of heaven forever
pre ran every race like it was the olympics. thats why hes the legend. 100% all the time. not many runners can say that. he won over 80% of the 169 or so races he was in after high school. i love watching the LA times mile in 73 where he runs sub 4 min and beats all the specialists at their own game.
I get the shivers evertime i watch this
idolo indiscutido!! muchos deberían tenerlo como un ejemplo de valentia y dedicacion!!
Just imagine if Pre had all today's technology and knowledge. Wow....
The way he ran was awesome and he wasnt even built like a runner. It was amazing what he was able to do for a guy with his build. He was built more like a miler.
have you never seen gladiator? this song is perfect its celebrating his wonderful yet brief life. showing his fantastic talent and spirit. and the song is appily named 'now we are free' (i think anyways)
Great movie & song- Now we are free- The final gladiator match in which maximus wins. Had Pre not died in a car wreck, he would've been the 1st runner to break 13 minutes for the 5K.
good job
thanks
he set 15 American records and a few world records I believe.
beautiful
fantastic athlete no one to beat him
pre
for
ever
Pre you live forever..
Great video
Mad world.
omg brilliant 5/5
that is crazy!
мог выиграть олимпиаду 1976... слишком рано пошел... Лассе Вирен отсиделся и сьел... жалко...Величайший бегун Префонтейн!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The last song is Mad World by Michael Andrews and Gary Jules.
13:12 in memory of Steve Prefontaine
Alright fine, I'll be specific. Viren pulled his left hamstring muscle. "We were in Lapland, in a training camp. Lasse had to hold ice on his leg three times a day. Once he ran too hard and the next morning he could hardly stand. Lasse threw his running shoes right into the lake. I went to him...." This was said by his coach.
PRE LIVES
PRE !
@YiftertheShifter1 pre's last last race was a 5k with frank. frank had just had teeth pulled i think a day or 2 before. Frank wasn't at his best, but neither was pre. he had been doing alot organizing and less training for the finn meet in the preceeding 4 weeks. they had run at coos bay,madras,hayward field etc. the 12:51 race there was tailwind so pre and frank took turns each lap drafting each other to go for the AR. ken moore and phil knight talk about how thats the one pre should have lost.
Michael Andrews - Mad World
Ghost from the past:
"Viren goes for home, Gammoudi is bankrupt, SO TO IS PREFONTAINE... and the Finn goes in now for his second gold medal, and Stewart with the late run! THE FINN WINS, Gammoudi second, Stewart gets the bronze, PREFONTAINE DIES IN THE FINAL STRIDES."
Just in case you had forgotten.
i like a quote by ian stewart. " first is first and second is nowhere'' . he then said he should took his medal and threw it in the grandstands. he felt he ran poorly i guess.
New American record held by Dathan Ritzenheim is 12:56 beating the old 5000 meter record.
thnx for info on bob's 12 58 in zurich. could he run 12 58 u think without a faster runner in field? seems like a time like that for him had the right pacing and weather conditions i'd assume. geb's 12 37 amazes me when i watch. he runs almost mile and half without his pacesetters. even the commentator keeps saying a WR is above him. haile is a machine. haile has every runners respect worldwide.
@thefallen2124 Bernard Lagat now has the American Record at 12:54 and Chris Solinsky also has a PB of 12:55.
Well, first it was 12:39 (12:37 by Bekele, the video of which I'm dying to see), but Gebre's run was phenomenal. He was a man with the fitness to run WRs with the devastating turning speed over the final 400 meters. He's without a doubt the greatest there's ever been.
@XFactor132 dathan ritzenhein is the top us distance runner right now. with matt tegenkamp also in the mix.
Lisa Gerrard - Now We Are Free
he was the best
Go Pre
whats that song at the end called? the very last one?
Bob Kennedy ran his 12:58.21 in Zurich '96 behind Daniel Komen's 12:45.xx (then the second fastest run), Gebreselassie (sore after Atlanta), and maybe a few others.
Kennedy was the fasted 5K runner that was 100% clean.
Well, for sure Viren would not shy away from any challenge. He used everything, even races like the European championships, to prepare for the Olympics.
Indeed! Viren used everything at his disposal to win, just like Lance Armstrong, they both blood-doped, used steroids and
reindeer milk & Goat Sperm & the male bull's nutbag mixed with horse penis, grilled over easy.
What is the name of the first song? excellent video. Stevie forever
Well, he was lucky that Pre faded, having run a poor tactical race in Munich. I wouldn't be too happy if I medalled the way he did, but the fact is that Pre's "guts" were too heavy to move in the last 100 meters. He made a brave effort, I agree; if that is what Pre fans say, then I must say I believe them. If the argument is that he would have certainly won in Montreal, using the same display of reckless courage, I'd have to say they are crazy.
Okay, I understand. I'm a short one as well; I like saying that the best distance runners in the world are 5 foot 5 (though Viren was some 6 feet tall). So, we can agree to disagree on only a few things, but otherwise we admire the same people for the same reasons.
dtown is a runner like pre gonna show up anytime soon? one that captures the people like pre's people?
ive watched the end of this race many times. look closely during the last lap at 12:57 pre's head turns to the right twds the stands. almost like looking for something thats not there that day. maybe a kick needed to win? that precise moment i think he realizes he is beat this time. afterall he hardly ever lost at middle distance. Any expert opinions have a view different? Please comment about 12 57 during the race.
im not sure what song it is but its from Gladiator (the movie)
Here's a little anecdote:
At last years' Olympic games, the French 4x100 relay (for swimming, not really sure which stroke) vowed to humiliate the Americans. In the end, the Americans pulled out ahead in the final meters, and the French were the ones humiliated.
A little unrelated, I know, but the presumption that Prefontaine was sure to have won had he been in Montreal, and especially how it really turned out, I would think those who make this presumption will be bitterly disappointed.
whats amazing is pre's dream 3 mile was 12:36. so that would be around 13 flat for 5k. pre couldnt have even envisioned a 12 37 5k. by the way i just saw the fire on the track with 3.5 hours of bonus footage of interviews of pre's friends, competitors, and coaches. it's a must see for anyone interested in sport and competition. if u get a chance watch it people. great documentary with no hollywood. or as i like to call it hollywierd.
@BrianBaldino1
lasse viren's whole team was later found to be doping... this puts him in quite the spot doesnt it?
actually it's Muenchen (since american Keyboards don't have the Umlaut for the U...). Anyway, what song was used on the First video of NCAA XCs?
I enjoy the video but am Confused about the music....What song is this so I might upload it..says Rhythm of love but I find no match as of yet... oh PS: Pre lives within the running/racing spirit of which is a great life force.
now we are free, from the movie gladiator
He did exactly what he promised, he promised people a show and he delivered the goods, his races were a work of art, Virens were just people running, he had style, if you don't like Pre don't go to the video and bitch about shit.
If anyone knows, would they be kind enough to post the names of the tunes that go with this compiliation.
@raysalsa1 I thought their race was over 3 miles- Pre won in 12:51, Shorter was second in 12:52. I don't know if this is true, but Shorter's official PB is 12:52 over 3 miles.
@ww1313 I know this is a year later and all, but Dathan Ritzenheim is a 12:56 5000m time, saw it last year, so nothing on you because of the time frame, but his AR is dropped
Pre is really flying at 0:31.
and what are the first two songs then?
whats the song that plays at the last 20 seconds?
it would take more than a sub 12:50,
the WR is 12:37, and the holder probably doesn't want to lose a gold for a lack of effort
they put 12 36 on the clock at his eulogy at heyward field because that was his goal. 12 laps at 63 second pace thats the idea. will never know what he could have done. i wont say he would won in montreal like many others. however the first 2 miles would been faster than in munich. watch fire on the track and 3 hours of interviews. I guarentee u will like it. it's not like the the 2 hollywood film's about him. the stories are great in bonus footage. the actual documenntary in about 1 hr.
Third, Lagat was 33, way past his best years (around the age most athletes retire).
Fourth, Lagat had to save something to qualify for the 1500m. Pre, unlike Lagat and Viren, did not try two events; only the one he thought he'd win.
Fifth, Lagat had an achilles tendon injury and a viral infection prior to the games. I don't think he would have won (at least, in the 5K), but he was not at his best health. We'll see in Berlin how he's doing.
Lagat almost beat El-G in the 2000 Olympic 1500m. Very close race that went down to the wire.
what is the name of this song, cause i gthink it got replaced
@ironpi ...Now We Are Free... by Hans Zimmer
@YiftertheShifter1 You did a bit but I get what your saying I just didn't want this to get political anyway just out of curiosity are you a runner or a lover of the sport I mean whats your running background?
I like to think Viren was doping, but my instincts tell me he wasn't.
The 70's was the best era for running, it was before all the performance enhancing drugs.
Pre was the best though.
what is the name of the song at the end?
@BrianBaldino1 well, i dont believe that Viren was doping either, but the Germans were under suspicion for blood doping in the 70's so you cant say that there were no short cuts in this age....
@MyFreedMan Three (or was it four) of Michael Johnson's teammates were found guilty in Balco... does that mean MJ was guilty? And clarify what you mean by having his "whole team" caught... The only distance runners I can think of are Maaninka confessing and Vaainio being caught... any others? How can you prove Viren's guilt, other than by association?
@SuttonSantiniPaulo hahahaaaa i love it
1. Viren did not chicken out of Pre's challenge, he was injured.
2. Pre proved he couldn't be "tough" when he was tested at the highest level, the Munich Olympics. Viren proved that he had the courage, guts, and speed to beat Pre and the rest of the world in four unduplicable performance, all undisputably worthy of gold medals. Pre lost. Viren won. The story ends there, now quit tarnishing one of the greatest olympic athletes in history.
@devilman819 oh man, too funny, this needs to be voted up
@raysalsa1 Shorter was 5th in the 10000m final, so I wouldn't say that he hasn't the ability to make the final of the 5000m. I think at some points he was ranked pretty high up in the 5000m (in the US). Even so, that Shorter can even compete with Pre over 3 miles while being a top marathon competitor shows quite a range. In today's age, most top class marathon runners can't compete in events lower than 10K.
Again...Does anybody know the real Name of this song? thanx...I want to put it into my running list.
what about nick symmonds? hes kinda like a pre in modern times, only running 800m..and a oregon runner!
i looked it up bob ran 13:12.35 in atlanta. winning time was 13:07.96 and yeah he was 6th. very respectable runner. i wonder what kind a pacing was happening he ran sub 13 minutes? I believe right now it would take sub12:50 for an american runner to win an olympics. i suppose a situation were an african runner gets citizenship in us like lagat did later in life is what would need to happen. us athletes arent a medal threats right now in middle distance.
if this footage doesnt make you want to run, there is something wrong with you
whats the name of the song please??
Okay, so what? he did run some tactics and he did some front running, when he got to a professional level, he started to run tactics. You may be a die hard Pre fan but a lot of people are, I know I am, but I actually read up on Pre for splits, his tactics, and miscellaneous. He'd run consecutive 4:25 miles then he'd do what any runner does and pick it up in the last mile and run a 4:08. A true fan would've known that.
Anyone who runs balls out the whole race will have a 1 in 10 shot of winning, it is a lot easier to pass the person you are pacing off of or a meter behind, I've passed numerous people with my kick that way, its tactics, Pre used them but not for Munich. I notice everythime I front run it doesn't necessarily work because sometimes I'll get winded or passed in the last 100m, mind you I run 4:18 mile so its not a Olympic pace but every time I race either in amateur races I get passed because of it
Nope you are incorrect, Pre had used tactics, he did it in quite a few races actually, he did it in his Olympic trials, guts and determination only gets you so far, and he knew that. He got better when he started to think it out, he even tried tactics at Munich I think, or he went balls out I don't remember. I don't have it all wrong you do.
@YiftertheShifter1 FOTtrack documentary there is a 10minute interview with frank. pre called frank up on phone to ask him to run in the finnish meet at hayward field which was the day died. pre won that 5k in 13:23 which dismantled the whole field including frank. frank said there was no way at that time he was going to be able to be competitive with pre at the 3mile/5k. hey i like and respect frank also, but lets face it no american could compete with pre at that distance. shorter was great.
Raysalsa, much as I respect both Bekele and Geb, we have to remember that they are an era way beyond that of the 1970s, where tracks, training methods, and pacing is a lot different. Geb, in his 5000m WR, was frontrunning a field whose talent was nowhere near his own, not a championship field (where he usually sits behind the leader's shoulder). While he may have a PR way faster than Viren and Pre... their olympic record are nowhere near Viren's.
Bekele & Geb & El-G were EPO cheats, while Viren was part of Finland's Notorious Blood Doping Olympic Team in 1972 & 1973.
Lasse had trained at altitude in Kenya for 4 months prior to the Olympic Games and he had that high test blood (mega red blood cells) withdrawn from him & 2 weeks before the Olympic Games, he had the high test blood infused back into his system.
Lasse was simply unbeatable with that winning formula. If he had been pushed, he could've ran 10 seconds faster.
Well, BK is no longer the record holder... Newsflash.
No, I'm just fine. I'm sorry if the way I spoke offended you. It's just when I'm dealing with people who stick with stupid one-liners, I use sensitive information to get them to shut up. I guess I did go over the top on this one...
@raysalsa1 Ryan Hall got tenth in Beijing, Frank Shorter got a gold in '72 for the marathon and a silver in '76. Tyson Gay just recently beat Usain Bolt, 100m world record holder. There are many good american runners, be careful what you say
Viren beat Pre fair and square but Pre's time in this was better then Viren's olympic time, their both amazing athletes lets not bash either of them.
Lasse Viren disliked the video...
Competition was hurder that ttime in Europe. In Europe there was more quality runners - big boys:) Foster, Steward, Väätänen, Viren, Päivärinta, Puttemans...
the only reason why Viren won was because he was blood doping... he admited to it later.
Pre would have placed in munich, not saying he would have won but he would have finished 3rd
Wow, must really suck to be the guy at 0:46 getting lapped! I've never been lapped in a race, but it must be incredibly humiliating!
Pre was a champion and a legend but dont disrespect Viren who was a four time gold medal winner and champion. There is no documented proof that Viren doped and I dont think Pre would want excuses made. What about the other two guys who beat Pre at Munich? We all love Pre and he had a hell of a shot for gold in 76. His 13:21 at the 72 trials would have won gold in 72 and 76. Just dont throw mud in his name.
@jonnybravo8 nick is great. however, the 800 is more about speed and less about guts. the 800 at trials at hayward field last year was exciting race. he doesnt have the persona pre had to promote the sport. maybe if he was great at a few more distances and was more outspoken he could fill pre's shoes.
1. Lasse Viren: 13:26.4 OR
2. Mohammad Gammoudi: 13:27.4
3. Ian Stewart: 13:27.76
4. Steve Prefontaine: 13:28.4
Just can't accept that, can you? Why would Viren be afraid of a guy he beat by two seconds (a good 15 meters)?
Viren wasn't afraid of anyone! The reindeer blood was Finland's secret formula that goes back to the days of the Flying Finns who trained at altitude and had their blood drawn and just before the Olympic Games they would have blood infusions.
@YiftertheShifter1 Look who's talking.
its munich not munchen but anyways ya he ran a faster time than the winner of that race before. its because the pace of the race was too slow and since he couldnt out sprint the other people he came in 4th.
I'm just saying I liked Pre's style more than Virens, and he might of lost but he definitely has better fan base then Viren, but before you say that's not true it's opinion.
track and field in america is badly lacking today because someone like pre isn't around. we have had and still have great athletes today but no one with close to the charisma and integrity of pre. thats a fact that can't be disputed. you have to admit alot of runners are great but look frail and dorky looking also. the USA is image oriented and that brings popularity. not to say thats right or just but a fact. pre definitely had a look unlike the other runners.