Sam Langford XLER8 Magazine

8/17/2019 Sam Langford XLER8 Magazine

1/30


2/30

DO WHAT YOU DO


3/30

TABLECONTENTS

OF

FAILUREIS

BEST FRIEND

MY

3

GEAR OF THE SEASONA complete guide to this season’sfastest shoes, shirts, sweats,hoodies, and accessories.

5

WHO’S ON TOP?

Collegiate and high school athletesat the top of the leaderboard forthe month.

15

STAYING ON PACEHealthy habits and suggestionsbacked by science to help keepyou on the track longer.

17

ATHLETE INTERVIEWAn insider’s look into the livestyleand happenings of collegiate andprofessional athletes.

19

PLUS:

WHY

ASHTONEATONIS THE

GREATESTATHLETE OF ALL TIME

STILL MATTERSIt’s been almost thirty years, and Steve Prefontaine’slegacy still lives on. Why he is the man so manyrunners still look up to all these years later.

WHY PRE

TABLE CONTENTS

OF

XLER8 MAGAZINE | NOVEMBER 2015 | 2


4/30

GEAR OF THE

SEASON

NIKE ELEMENT GLOVES

Keep the cold snap out and the warmn' comfortable in with the Men's NikeElement Thermal Run Gloves.($20)

NEW BALANCE ICE

RUNNING TEE

Keep your cool when the road heatsup with the New Balance ICE ShortSleeve, featuring heat release TECH.($28)

TOMMY COPPER

SHIN SLEEVES

Comfortable compression thatprovides support for muscles and

joints all day, every day.($30)

ADIDAS SPEED

TRAINER SHOES

These running shoes keep yourfeet comfortable when you'retraining to hit that new PR.($75)

ADIDAS RESPONSE

RUNNING TIGHTS

Designed to be a second skin forrunning, these tights are made ofmoisture-wicking climalite fabric.($50)

WE HAVE YOUR GUIDE TO THE BEST RUNNING

SHOES, gear, accessories, and APPAREl to

give you the edge this season.

3 | FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON GEAR, VISIT WWW.XLER8.COM/GEARUP


5/30

Highly responsiveUnbelievably lightweight

H Y D R

A T E

P A C E

L I S T E

N

S T O R

E

S T R E T C H

Nike Max Vapor EnergyBackpack ($80) Take charge of your busyschedule by carrying all ofyour necessities in oneplace with Nike’s premierbackpack.

Camelbak Eddy .75LWaterbottle ($15)Redesigned cap and bitevalve provide faster flowand enhanced durability.Flip, Bite and Sip. Notipping required.

Bose SoundSportHeadphones ($130)Energize your workoutwith full, balanced soundthat conventional sportsearbuds can't match.

Garmin Forerunner 225Wrist Watch ($300)GPS running watch thattracks distance, pace andheart rate. Activitytracking counts steps andcalories all day.

Rogue Trigger Point GridFoam Roller ($40)Features DistrodensityZones, Matrix Technologyand an environmentallyfriendly design.

4


6/30

WHO’S ON TOP?

C O L L

E G I A

T E

H I G H S C H O

O L

EDWARD CHESEREK

SCHOOL:

MAIN EVENTS:

BEST TIME:

UNIVERSITY OF OREGON

5000m, 10,000m

KAYLIN WHITNEY

HOMETOWN:

NEWARK, NEW JERSEY

5000m - 13:45.25

10,000m - 28:30.18

SCHOOL:

MAIN EVENTS:

BEST TIME:

EAST RIDGE HIGH

100m, 200m

HOMETOWN:

CLERMONT, FLORIDA

100m - 11.10

200m - 22.47

All student athletes aim to be the best IN

their SPORT. But very few achieve such a feat.

we found out which two have risen to GAIN

THE TITLE OF “TOP TRACK ATHLETE OF THE YEAR”.

5


7/30

“SHE TRAINS WITH

AN ELITE GROUP

OF ATHLETES.”

“I MIGHT AS WELL GET

WHAT I WANT AND

KEEP WINNING TITLES”

KAYLIN WHITNEY

HIGH SCHOOL PRODIGY

Her 100 meters time alsosets the national high schoolrecord as recognized by Trackand Field News, though it willnot be recognized by theNFHS as the USATF JuniorChampionships are not a highschool competition.

Olympic gold medalist Felixis just one of the who’s whoof Olympians Whitneysurpassed with the variousrecords. Also on the list, theWorld Youth best in the 100 washeld by Chandra Cheeseborough,the 200 best was held by Marion Jones, and the high school 100mrecord was held by AngelaWilliams.

At the time of her performance,her 200 meter time rankedher as the #8 time of the yearagainst all women of any age,

her 100m ranked #17.

While still a sophomore atEast Ridge High School inClermont, Florida, she was the

2014 Florida state champion inboth events. As a youth athlete,Whitney was a star beforereaching high school. In 2012, she

set the American age 14 records

in both the 100m and 200m in

similar fashion, a day apart,destroying the youth records of

future Olympic gold medalist,Sanya Richards. She trainswith an elite group of athleteswhich includes Olympic gold

medalist Justin Gatlin called StarAthletics coached by Olympicgold medalist Dennis Mitchell.

EDWARD CHESEREK

THE KENYAN BEAST

On the first day of thesummer term, during the lullbetween the NCAA and U.S.championships, a tour groupgathers at Hayward Field’snorthern gates. The guide istoo busy giving the spiel aboutthis being the best place inthe world to run—showingoff the plaques dedicated toits heroes—to notice a tinyblack man in a yellow shirtgliding across Agate Street.Out of the dozen prospectivestudents, only a tall blondkid sporting his high school

cross-country T-shirt catchessight of the runner who hasalready won more NCAA titlesthan Steve Prefontaine. Theblond kid puts his hand on hismother’s shoulder, and togetherthey watch Edward Cheserekdisappear down the block.

A week ago, in front of morethan 11,000 fans, Cheserektwice unrolled his fearsome

kick on the orange track insidethose gates and put to rest anyquestions about whether he orhis teammate Eric Jenkins wasking of the NCAA.

Now, in the lobby of the BowermanBuilding, Cheserek, 21, bumpsinto a recreational runnerperhaps 20 years his senior. Theylaunch into a conversation that is

unintelligible to everyone else inthe lobby, including Andy Powell,distance coach at Oregon.

Behind a table, Powell waits toconsult with his star, knowingthat the older runner, a universityIT specialist, is from Tanzania.Toward the end of the conversation,Cheserek turns to his coach andshakes his head. “I’m losing mySwahili,” he laments.

Despite having spent virtuallythe entirety of his five yearsin the U.S. in the public eye,Cheserek has remained an

enigma. Some of this isintentional; he is usually flankedby his teammates when he

speaks to the media. And so hislife has been regarded as a fairytale—stories written abouthim can be boiled down to“impoverished Kenyan makesgood in America”—and little isknown about the complicatedyoung man who is one of themost exciting talents in hissport.

“He does care what people thinkabout him,” Parker Stinson, aformer teammate, says, “but heknows he can’t control it. It’slike, If people are gonna hateme, like me, whatever, I mightas well get what I want andkeep winning titles.”

6


8/30

“FAILURE IS MY BEST FRIEND”


9/30

WHY ASHTON EATONIS THE GREATEST ATHLETE

IN THE WORLD

Which mother’s proudest momentis when her son fails? Who wouldproclaim losing a high point in ourchildren’s life? What type of parentthinks that? A parent like RozEaton: a beautiful, independent,strong, genuine, Olympic Mom;Ashton Eaton’s mom. Roz wasdescribing Ashton’s struggle at the2011 IAAF World Championshipsin Athletics, where Ashton failedto win first place.

I saw that he was disappointed inhis early performance but he foughtthrough it and earned a silver medal.To me, that moment signified abenchmark in his life as a personand an athlete. I was proud of theyoung man he had become.” For Rozto see that as a positive moment, adefining moment, in her son’s life,speaks volumes to the woman sheis, and the mother she has alwaysbeen to the world’s greatest athlete.



10/30

Ashton grew up in the Portland, OR area,spending his early childhood in La Pine, thenmoving for high school to Bend, OR. His dadwas an athlete and his maternal grandfatheralso played college football. But no one forcedor encouraged a career in athletics, accordingto Roz, “Track chose Ashton”, and she simplyfacilitated his efforts. As a young boy, Ash, as Roz

calls him, was already showing a real penchantfor physical activity. He was climbing, running,setting up long-jump in the back yard, andgenerally exerting real energy toward all thingsathletic. Roz enrolled him in Ty Kwon Do andby 13 Years old he had earned his black belt. Bythen, he was also running track. Roz admits tohaving a hard time as a single mom – keeping

a roof over his head, food in the cupboards, andclothes on his back meant working several jobs atthe same time. She did a little bit of everything,and those years are but a blur as she tries torecall what she did when. The actual jobs were“unimportant” she says. Her parents wouldsurely have come to her aid, but she’s not thatkind of person. On the other hand, she couldn’t

feasibly hold down three jobs while gettingAshton to his busy afterschool schedule. It is herethat Roz relied on everyone else to help out. Family,coaches, parents, friends, they all made sure Ashdidn’t miss a practice, a meet, a tournament ora heat. She remembers rushing from work andshowing up late for some meets, and seeingAsh’s relief as he acknowledged her presence.

9


11/30

“I KNEW ASHTON WANTEDTO ACCOMPLISH SOMETHING

AND IT WAS MY JOB

TO SUPPORT HIS DREAM.”

Sometimes she didn’t even have the fundsto go see him compete. In our conversation,she tears up as she remembers the one timethe other parents, the coaches and somefriends put up the fare for her to get to ameet. Roz, a proud and independent person,didn’t hesitate to take help when it was for herson: “I had to rely a lot on Ashton’s coaches,”

Roslyn says. “I was straightforward with themthat I was a single mom who had to entrustthem with my son. I knew Ashton wanted toaccomplish something and it was my job tosupport his dream.” By high school, Ashtonhad already come to the attention of areaColleges. It didn’t take long for him to decideon the University of Oregon where he trained

under Dan Steele and then Harry Marra. Butit was his high school coach, Tate Metcalf, whois most credited with leading Ashton towarda career in the most demanding competitionin the Olympics. Metcalf recognized Ashton’smulti-lateral talents: his athletic aptitude wasnoticeably superior and Metcalf honed his skillsto a fine art; and then encouraged him to attend

a college with a solid decathlon program. Morethan that, Metcalf recognized Ashton’s character:in a world of testosterone-driven competition,Easton, is a nicer, gentler, decenterathlete.

10


12/30

PROFILEATHLETEAGE: 27

HEIGHT: 6’1”

WEIGHT: 185 LBS

BEST MARKS:

100m - 10.21 400m - 45.00

LONG JUMP - 8.23 M

POLE VAULT - 5.40 mHIGH JUMP - 2.11 M

SHOT PUT: 15.40 M

DISCUS - 47.36 m

JAVELIN - 66.64 m

110 HURDLES - 13.35

1500m - 4:14.48

11 | FOR FURTHER READING, VISIT WWW.XLER8.COM/ASHTONEATONBIO


13/30

“WHEN ASHTON HAS A GOAL,HE WRITES IT IN BIG LETTERS AND PUTS IT SOMEWHEREHE WILL SEE IT EVERY DAY.”

According to espn.go.com, “Coacheshad to sit him down and tell him it was OKto max out during workouts, that beating

his teammates badly didn’t mean he washumiliating them. But Eaton didn’t startsoaring until he started racing against time,distance and himself rather than the personbeside him. “ Today, in spite of his winning theOlympic gold medal for his outstandingprowess in ten grueling sports events, Eatonis still gravely under-recognized. Yet in thisworld of mega-stardom for lesser athletes,his performance speaks for itself. His record-

breaking feats exceed your time and my spacehere, but can be easily found at Wikipedia.Meanwhile, his home-town continues to laudhim, naming a highway in his honor andhaving a huge Olympic parade upon his returnfrom the UK. And, in the sports world, hehas accrued an amazing number of tributes,awards, trophies and salutes. And he could not have done it withouthis mom. In response to a question fromIlyssa Panitz at Divinecaroline.com, this was

his response:

“…My mom and I have been through a lot. Butwhen you think about it, whose life is perfect? Itis just really good because we did this together. Ihad a dream, my dream came true and my momwas there for me every step of the way. We didn’tdo this for any other reason. I am so happy she ishere to experience this with me. This would notbe the same if she were not by my side.”

I first realized how unassuming andgracious Ashton is when I watched the DavidLetterman show right after the Olympics.Ashton’s humility is obvious: he defers theattention, and always recognizes his mom,grandparents, his coaches and the battalion

of people who helped him along the way. Iknew I wanted to feature them on my blog.I reached out to Roz via Facebook and wasutterly incredulous when she replied with athoughtful and authentic response:

“… [T]hank you for your kind words regardingAshton! The truth is, I need to really think about myanswer deeply before I respond. Using an analogythat Ashton has used before when describing hiscompetitions; I think while you are in the middle

of it–(in this case raising a young man in today’sworld) you are so deeply in-trenched IN it, thatyou don’t see what is happening from the outsideview-much like driving a car-it is easier to seewhat the ‘car’ is doing when you are outside ofit looking at it, rather than on the inside of it atthe steering-wheel…In any case [one] should gointo it with a clear goal–when Ashton has a goal,he writes it in big letters and puts it somewherehe will see it every day.”

12


14/30

“ASHTON AND ROZ DEFINITELY DIDN’THAVE THE EASIEST LIFE WHILE

ASHTON WAS GROWING UP, AND THEY HAD TO WORK FOREVERYTHING THEY GOT.”

I contacted her again a few months later,and she was genial and generous with her time.We spoke for over an hour and I liked her even

more after our phone call. It was clear she hadsacrificed to make Ashton the best he couldbe. She said to me, when dinner was meat andpotatoes, she ate the potatoes. Besides workingseveral jobs, she moved when she felt he neededa better environment, and moved again, whenher commute precluded her seeing him compete.She bought him the expensive gear he needed,and surrounded him with strong role models toemulate. He didn’t have “chores”, but he knew hehad to help out around the house. And Roz made

sure he didn’t neglect his school work for thesake of his sports. She wanted him to have betteropportunities, and a four-year college was partof that plan. Ashton’s fiancée, Brianne Theisenperhaps says it best, in the Bend Bulletin:

Ashton’s fiancée, Brianne Theisen perhaps saysit best, in the Bend Bulletin:

“Ashton and Roz definitely didn’t have theeasiest life while Ashton was growing up, andthey had to work for everything they got. Roz isa fighter, though. She wanted Ashton to have allthe things that the other kids his age had, andmore. She worked her butt off so that he coulddo all the sports he wanted, and she helped himin any way she could — financially, mentally. “But the most important thing is that she taughthim how to be a good person. She’d discipline

him if he ever treated anyone with disrespect,but she also taught him how to be a toughperson and to stand up for himself and others.Anyone that knows Ashton or meets him for thefirst time is always shocked at how well-spoken

13


15/30

“Failure is my best friend; when youwin you don’t change anything,because you’re winning. When youdon’t win you tend to change stuff.In this position I still feel I want tochange things. Not necessarilyrecreate stuff, but kinda just keepthe learning curve going…”

and friendly he is. People aren’t just blessed with

this type of personality; it needs to be taught.And he’s only lived with his mom growing up, soyou know where he learned it from.” And, even more importantly, whileAshton has triumphed most of the time, shedidn’t coddle and protect him from failure.She made it clear that he has to give his all ineverything he undertakes. During a recentinterview for the Bowerman Awards, Ashtonhad this to say when asked “what’s next?”

14


16/30

ON PACE STAYING

RUNNINGHEALTHY

AND STAYINGINJURYFREEFollow these rules, and you’ll spend

more time on the road and less time in rehab.

Dr. Baggish notes. “They runbecause it makes them feelbetter on a daily basis. There isa mood elevating, quality-of-lifebenefit that comes from being aregular exerciser.”

For regular runners, the costof feeling good can be strains

and sprains, so Dr. Baggishadvocates for the value of whathe calls “active rest.” His ruleof thumb, not supported byany specific research, is thatit’s a good idea to spend 25% ofexercise time over the course ofa year running at a lower level ofintensity or doing other activitieslike swimming or biking.

Although running can trimaway some of your existing

risk of cardiovascular disease,it doesn’t entirely eliminate it.The combined effect of lifestyle,diet, and family history stillcontribute to your lifetime risk.“There is no question that thefitter you are and the moreexercise you do, the longer youlive and the better your quality

of life,” Dr. Baggish says. “But itdoesn’t confer immunity.”

This study used preventing deathto measure the benefit ofrunning, but it’s not the mosttypical reason for running. “Manydedicated long-term runnersdo not run because they wantto live longer,” The new studyfocused on a group of more than55,000 men and women ages 18to 100. About a quarter of them

were runners. Over 15 years,those who ran just 50 minutesa week or fewer at a moderatepace were less likely to die fromeither cardiovascular disease orany cause, compared with thosewho didn’t run at all.

The study suggests a relatively

low entry level for the benefitof jogging, but it is not aprescription. “A little bit is goodbut a little bit more is probablybetter,” Dr. Baggish says. A 2013study in Denmark suggestedthat the “sweet spot” formaximum longevity is up to 2.5hours of running a week.

15


17/30

9 WAYS

HEALTHIER ATHLETE

TO BECOME A

FOAM ROLL FUEL UP COOL DOWN

DO YOGA STRETCH HYDRATE

ENERGIZE LIFT SLEEP

Your body needs to recharge if you want to

have enough energy for a good run, so makesure you get between seven and nine hoursof sleep per night.

Chances are, you’re not drinking enoughwater, which is especially important if you’rerunning a lot. Beat fatigue and musclecramps by hydrating well every day.

Your run isn’t over until you’ve spent a fewminutes on cooldown stretches. These helprelieve muscle tightness and soreness, soyou can bounce back and be ready for yournext run.

Before and after a run, think carbs and

protein. Carbs help fuel your muscles, whileprotein builds them up. These pre-workoutsnacks are the perfect combination of whatyou need for a good run.

Certain stretches can help you becomea faster runner. Try incorporating thesestretches for speed into your regularpostrunning routine; they’ll help you improveexibility and strength over time.

Before and after a run, think carbs andprotein. Carbs help fuel your muscles, whileprotein builds them up. These pre-workoutsnacks are the perfect combination of whatyou need for a good run.

Need a little boost? Drink cofee about an

hour before your workout — it’ll improve yourendurance. You can also try beet juice, whichstudies show may improve oxygen ow inyour body.

Regular running leads to tight joints andmuscles — regular yoga helps undo it. Thesemust-do yoga poses for runners will openup tight hips, relieve lower back pain, andunhitch those shoulders.

If you’re running a lot, you’ll really feelthose tight muscles. Loosen them up to helpprevent injuries with these self-massagetechniques you can do with a foam roller.

16


18/30

JUSTIN GATLIN

ATHLETE INTER VIEW

BOLTIN

HIS

SIGHTS

B U TSUSPICION

REMAINS

Even on the furthestperimeters of Qatar SportsCity, the sounds of celebrationreverberated as Americansprinter Justin Gatlin set anew personal best and trackrecord to start the athleticsseason with a bang at theDiamond League meet in Doha.

To put this into context, Gatlinclocked 9.74 to equal the sixthfastest 100m time in history.

After serving two lengthydrug bans (in 2001 and 2006),some don’t think it’s right thata man who won gold at the2004 Olympics but was laterstripped of his medal, is backon the track.

In a sport never far awayfrom its next doping scandaland the age-old problem ofhow to combat it, Gatlin’spresence at the top of thesport is uncomfortable forthose who feel he shouldsimply be banned for life andhis achievements ignored.

Others, however, believe hisreturn has reignited the sportand added a new level ofcompetitiveness to an eventthat Usain Bolt has dominatedfor nearly a decade.

Gatlin wouldn’t be humanif he didn’t read betweenthe snipes. Opinion remains

divided between those whobelieve his recent achievementsare natural (he ran six of theseven fastest 100m times in2014) and those who suggestdark forces are at work.

But seeing the American cruiseto victory in Doha was worth

the admission fee alone andnow sets up a fascinatingyear with the World AthleticsChampionships taking centrestage in Beijing in August.“That was for him (Usain Bolt),”Gatlin said. “I just wanted to goout and put down a good timeand make a statement. Youknow I saw Asafa Powell put ona good time in Jamaica [at the

17 | FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GATLIN, VISIT WWW.XLER8.COM/INTERVIEWS


19/30

AT 33, HE IS RUNNING

TIMES THAT NOBODY ELSEHIS AGE HAS RUN BEFORE.

“I THINK THE WORLDIS WAITING FOR HIM TO

COME OUT AND COMPETE.”

Jamaica International Invitationon May 9] and I knew I had togo out there and throw it outon to the gauntlet and provewhat I can do.

I understand what I bring tothe track – some think it’s agood thing and others thinkit’s a bad thing, but my jobis to go out and run fast andhard and that’s what I cameto Doha to do.”

In the Gulf, Gatlin excelled atthat job, crossing the line 0.18seconds ahead of compatriotMichael Rodgers and Trinidadand Tobago’s Keston Bledman.As a man who will forever

be under scrutiny, Gatlin hasdeveloped a thick skin. Buthe still possesses charismain abundance and is anemblematic figure.

At 33, he is running times thatnobody else his age has runbefore. It’s not unheard of forathletes in their 30s to achieverecord times, as Michael Johnsonand Carl Lewis proved in the

90s, although Gatlin – perhapsunderstandably – finds itimpossible to escape suspicion,having been an outcast for fiveof his 14 years of racing.

Around the track in Doha,there was little sign of suchsuspicion. Gatlin flashedhigh-wattage smiles at fansand media, pumping his fists

ferociously in front of TVcameras. His victory capturedthe imagination of the publicand judging by the response,his fan base is flourishing in

the region.

“A lot of people whisper myaccomplishments and yell outmy flaws, but I have a job todo and I’m glad to be back,”he added. “I want to come outand do it. I have to go on toChina now and hopefully dothe same thing.”

For the American, there was

no escaping the big storyof last week as Team USAwere stripped of their relaysilver medal won at London2012 after Tyson Gay testedpositive for doping.

Gatlin also experienced thisbrutal feeling of losing anOlympic medal after Athensin 2004 when he subsequently

tested positive for anabolicsteroids, serving a four-yeardoping ban as punishment.

“It is (sad), because weworked very hard for it. Itwas our first time going to anOlympics and winning. I wona silver medal before in 2004and to have that medal takenaway from my cabinet was asad thing, but now I just want

to go out and win a gold medalnext year,” said Gatlin.

“I was in the bathroom when Igot the phone call, but at theend of the day, we have to goout as team USA and pushforward. We showed that atthe Bahamas and we wantto show it again at the WorldChampionships.”

With Beijing around the corner,seldom have we loped intoa season with such a sense ofexcitement and anticipation.

Aside from the in-form AsafaPowell and Michael Rodgers,Bolt and his compatriot YohanBlake are yet to return to thetrack but it seems inevitableboth men will produce theirmagic at next year’s RioOlympics.

“I think the world is waitingfor him to come outand compete,” Gatlin told

assembled media tracksidein the Qatari capital.

“(I want to make) a statementfor anyone who is in aposition to win the WorldChampionships. Hopefullywhoever lines up in the finalsis thinking about winning agold (medal), so that goes tohim, you guys won’t say hisname, and the six other guyswho are lining up for thecompetition. I’m not trashtalking. I like to speak with my

feet and that’s what I do.”

18


20/30

We’ve found a few quotes

from top track and field

athletes on what it takes

to become a winner

WINNERS WORD S FOR

“The desire definitelycomes from within. Thereare only a few people whomake it to this level and

those are the ones whohave that innate desire.”

- ASHTON EATON2X Olympic Decathlete

“I will give more todaythan I did yesterday.”

- ALLYSON FELIX

2X OLYMPIC

SPRINTER

We’ve found a few quotes

from top track and field

athletes on what it takes

to become a winner

GEAR O F THE

SEASON WINNERS WORDS FOR

19


21/30

“I've always believedthat everything

happens for a reason.It's not by chance orluck, it's God's plan.”

- BRITTANY BORMAN

“If you don’t haveconfidence, you’llalways find a way not

to win.”

- Carl Lewis

OLYMPIC THROWER

Olympic jumper

“Don’t dream ofwinning.

Train for it.”- Mo Farah

Olympic runner

20


22/30

PRE”“WHY

PRESTILLMATTERS

“ ”

He wasn't always the fastest nor the most

decorated. So why is Steve Prefontaine still

the most influential American runner ever?


23/30

STEVE BENCE HAS DRIVEN UP TO PRE’S ROCK COUNTLESStimes over the past 38 years. Every visit is different. Some daysit’s quiet and he feels the presence of Steve Prefontaine, his

former University of Oregon teammate. On other days, the littlespot at the bend of the narrow road in Eugene, Ore., is crowdedwith visitors taking pictures and leaving tributes -- trackshoes, race bib numbers, singlets, hats, medals and heartfelthandwritten notes -- around a granite monument to Prefontaine.It’s a shrine, and people from across the country and the worldvisit just hoping to get a little closer to the dynamic distancestar who set every American record from 2,000 to 10,000 metersby the time he died at the site in a late-night car crash in 1975.Bence, a longtime Nike executive, sometimes brings companyemployees to Eugene from Beaverton to learn about Nike’s roots.



24/30

On those trips, he usually stops atPre’s Rock to give them an idea what “Pre”was like. “I try to tell at least one personalstory with him, just to make him real,”Bence says. “It’s not just some mythical guy.He was a runner and a friend.” Often after hespeaks, people approach to ask questionsor to take his picture. They’ve read aboutPre in books, seen the documentary or thetwo dramatic films about his life, or been

inspired by his quotes and his go-for-brokerunning style.

Bence understands. “It’s kind oflike if they can touch me, I touched Pre, andso therefore if they touch me they touch aperson who touched Pre,” says Bence. He hasno single explanation for why Prefontaine,who died at age 24, remains so loved andsuch an inspiration to so many, yet heknows it’s true. “He’s been dead longer thanhe was alive, and he still has an impact onpeople,” Bence says. This year marks the 40th anniversary

of Prefontaine’s last race for Oregon -- whenhe completed an undefeated season in the fallof 1973 by winning his third NCAA individualcross country title -- and his legacy at Oregon,around Eugene, and across the state of Oregonis as strong as it’s ever been. A giant mural at Oregon’s HaywardField, where he won so many races, featuresmultiple images of Pre. Visitors to thecampus bookstore find Prefontaine posters,shirts, books and movies for sale. Incomingfreshmen on orientation tours hear abouthis exploits and learn about nearby Pre’s

Rock and Pre’s Trail, a public jogging pathwhere he used to run.

His pictures and quotes adorn wallsin the offices of the Daily Emerald, the studentnewspaper. There’s a statue of Prefontaineat Nike headquarters in Beaverton, anotherin Portland, and a large memorial in hishometown of Coos Bay, where he is buried.

That city also has a permanentexhibit of his trophies, memorabilia andphotos at the Prefontaine Gallery at theCoos Art Museum. The Ducks host the

Prefontaine Classic every year (billed as thenation’s premier track and field meet), andthe 34th annual Prefontaine Memorial 10Krace will be held Sept. 21 in Coos Bay overtrails run by Pre as a teen.

Prefontaine’s words live on, too,sometimes etched into the skin of runnersinspired by him. The most popular: “Togive anything less than your best is tosacrifice the gift.” It’s probably not a surprise, then,that in Eugene -- Track Town, USA -- it’sPrefontaine who rises above even a football

program that has become one of the nation’sbest, something you won’t see in otherfootball hotbeds like Ann Arbor, Tuscaloosaor Gainesville. Says Oregon student JakeCrump, 20, who is from Coos Bay and is aneditor for the Daily Emerald: “I would say it’spretty hard to grow up in Oregon and notknow Steve Prefontaine and his story.” New Oregon football coachMark Helfrich, who also grew up in Pre’shometown, passes a picture of Prefontaineevery day in the hall outside his office. Andformer coach Chip Kelly, who took his team

to Pre’s Rock in 2009 for inspiration, urgedthose Ducks to play the way Prefontaine ran.

21

On those trips, he usually stops atPre’s Rock to give them an idea what “Pre”was like. “I try to tell at least one personalstory with him, just to make him real,”Bence says. “It’s not just some mythical guy.He was a runner and a friend.” Often afterhe speaks, people approach to ask questionsor to take his picture. They’ve read aboutPre in books, seen the documentary or thetwo dramatic films about his life, or beeninspired by his quotes and his go-for-brokerunning style.

Bence understands. “It’s kind oflike if they can touch me, I touched Pre, andso therefore if they touch me they touch aperson who touched Pre,” says Bence. He hasno single explanation for why Prefontaine,who died at age 24, remains so loved andsuch an inspiration to so many, yet heknows it’s true. “He’s been dead longer thanhe was alive, and he still has an impact onpeople,” Bence says. This year marks the 40th anniversaryof Prefontaine’s last race for Oregon -- whenhe completed an undefeated season in the fallof 1973 by winning his third NCAA individualcross country title -- and his legacy at Oregon,around Eugene, and across the state of Oregonis as strong as it’s ever been. A giant mural at Oregon’s HaywardField, where he won so many races, featuresmultiple images of Pre. Visitors to thecampus bookstore find Prefontaine posters,shirts, books and movies for sale. Incomingfreshmen on orientation tours hear about

his exploits and learn about nearby Pre’sRock and Pre’s Trail, a public jogging pathwhere he used to run.

His pictures and quotes adorn wallsin the offices of the Daily Emerald, the studentnewspaper. There’s a statue of Prefontaineat Nike headquarters in Beaverton, anotherin Portland, and a large memorial in hishometown of Coos Bay, where he is buried.

That city also has a permanentexhibit of his trophies, memorabilia andphotos at the Prefontaine Gallery at theCoos Art Museum. The Ducks host the

Prefontaine Classic every year (billed as thenation’s premier track and field meet), andthe 34th annual Prefontaine Memorial 10Krace will be held Sept. 21 in Coos Bay overtrails run by Pre as a teen.

Prefontaine’s words live on, too,sometimes etched into the skin of runnersinspired by him. The most popular: “Togive anything less than your best is tosacrifice the gift.” It’s probably not a surprise, then,that in Eugene -- Track Town, USA -- it’sPrefontaine who rises above even a footballprogram that has become one of the nation’sbest, something you won’t see in otherfootball hotbeds like Ann Arbor, Tuscaloosaor Gainesville. Says Oregon student JakeCrump, 20, who is from Coos Bay and is aneditor for the Daily Emerald: “I would say it’spretty hard to grow up in Oregon and notknow Steve Prefontaine and his story.” New Oregon football coachMark Helfrich, who also grew up in Pre’shometown, passes a picture of Prefontaineevery day in the hall outside his office. Andformer coach Chip Kelly, who took his teamto Pre’s Rock in 2009 for inspiration, urgedthose Ducks to play the way Prefontaine ran.

23


25/30

“He’s been dead longer

than he was alive,

and he still has an

impact on people,”

- STEVE Bence

24


26/30

“PRE WAS MORE

THAN A NAME.

IT WAS ACONDITION.”

“Steve Prefontaine did not carewho he was running against,” Kelly saidat the time. “He was going to run as hardas he could for as long as he could. That’swhat I hope our attitude is in this footballprogram.” To Cole Watson, a middle-distanceand cross country runner at Oregon,Prefontaine’s aura is “as strong as ever,”and he knows other runners feel that

way, too. Watson, going into his fourthyear with the Ducks, was a six-time statechampion at Rogue River High School inthe southern part of the state. He knewabout Prefontaine in grade school. “I watched the movies before Ieven started running, and when I did startrunning, I thought, ‘Man, I want to be justlike this guy,’ “ he recalls. “You know, he’sa rebel. He makes this sport that isn’tabout contact and hitting people -- it’s notnecessarily cool in a lot of other people’seyes -- and he made it cool for us.”

Once Watson began running, hewanted to follow Pre’s path to Eugene.Then in 2010, Watson won the Nike-StevePrefontaine Award, given to the state’s bestsenior high school distance runner. “I wanted to run for Oregon, butI didn’t think I would be good enough,”he says. “But as I grew and got stronger, itbecame a reality. Oregon wasn’t the firstvisit I took, but it was the last. You fall inlove with it because all the coaches talkabout ‘Hayward Field magic,’ and it kind of just feels right when you’re here.”

But what is it about Prefontainethat attracts teens, 20-somethings and evennon-runners who never watched him

compete? “I don’t think there is one goodanswer,” says Linda Prefontaine, Steve’ssister. “I think there are many good answers.” For one, the movies and bookscontinue to tell his story. For another,Pre was a phenomenon during his timeat Oregon, capturing championships andnational headlines, packing the standsat Hayward Field with “Pre’s People” andeven inspiring “Stop Pre” T-shirts worn by

opposing fans (countering Oregon’s “GoPre” shirts). As author and Oregonian KenKesey once said: “Pre was more than aname -- it was a condition.”

That legend has been passed on by word ofmouth and media. Also, his story was aneveryman’s tale of a guy “from Nowhere,Oregon,” as Linda describes it, who became“this huge star based on his own hard work.” “Steve knew he didn’t have the speedor the talent of some other runners, yet he

willed himself to be great, she says. If otherrunners were going to beat him, Pre once said,“They are going to have to bleed to do it.”

25 | FOR FURTHER READING, VISIT WWW.XLER8.COM/ASHTONEATONBIO


27/30

WHAT MADE HIM SO

REVOLUTIONARY?

1500 METERS - 3:38

2000 METERS - 5:01

3000 METERS - 7:42

5000 METERS - 13:21

10,000 METERS - 27:43

His strategy often was to storm tothe early lead and force the field to chasehim. It was a style that endeared him tothousands. Even in a losing 5,000-meterrace at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, hecaptured American hearts. He jumped to thelead in a slow race with about 1,500 metersto go and dared the rest of the field to catchhim. Three did, and he finished a gallant forth,totally spent and dejected.

“He knew he didn’t have great speedat the end, so, you know, what are you goingto do, run with the guys that have the kickand you don’t, and save yourself to the endand then get your ass kicked?” Linda says.“Or are you going to try to make those guysbleed in the middle of the race and hopethat they lose some of that extra oomphthey have at the end, to out-kick somebody.What are your choices?” “Or are you going to try to makethose guys bleed in the middle of the raceand hope that they lose some of that extra

oomph they have at the end, to out-kicksomebody. What are your choices?” Another part of the allure, of course,is that Prefontaine died young. People wereleft wondering what could have been. A goldmedal at the 1976 Games? World records?Also, says Oregon professor Dr. DanielWojcik, Prefontaine was seen as a man ofthe people and a rebel. He lived in a traileroutside Eugene, worked at a tavern andspent time with his fans. He also defied conventional runningstrategies, sometimes clashed with his coaches

and fought the Amateur Athletic Union. Evenbefore his death, he was compared to JamesDean. Also, Prefontaine ran in a different era.

26


28/30

“HE’D GO FLAT-OUT

EVERY RACE AND GIVE

IT EVERYTHING HEHAD, AND THAT’S THE

WAY HE WAS.”

“Something about him was truegrit and just a guy who didn’t compromise,”says Wojcik, who has studied Prefontaine’slife and written a detailed examinationof the pilgrimages to Pre’s Rock as partof his research into modern shrines andspiritual tourism. “I think we live in an agewhen a lot of athletes are seen as beingcorrupt or using performance-enhancingdrugs or in it for the money. Prefontaine is

imagined as kind of uncorrupted, you know,unadulterated.” Though the University ofOregon has produced scores of brilliantathletes, to Wojcik, Prefontaine “is hailedabove the rest” in the popular imagination,his mythos attached to Hayward Field and somany other points in Eugene. He’s a folk hero.“Prefontaine really lives on,” says Wojcik.

After taking time off from schoolto compete in the 1972 Olympics, Prefontainestill had college eligibility remaining, so hecame back for one final cross country seasonin the fall of ‘73. His return helped Oregon

win the NCAA championship, and hiswinning race was a classic. Steve Bencehas a special connection to Pre’s Rock andhis friend and teammate.

He trailed by a good margin toWestern Kentucky’s Nick Rose at themidpoint, but then pushed past Rose to winby more than five seconds over the 6-milecourse in Spokane, Wash. His third collegiatecross country championship was added tofour NCAA 3-mile track championships. Infour years at Oregon, he never lost a racelonger than a mile. Today, Bence remembers

Prefontaine as a friend, not a legend. “Hewas just like the rest of us, a knucklehead,”he says, chuckling. But he was a friend who

did legendary things. “It wasn’t so muchabout what he did or his times or his place,it was how he went about competing andliving his life that inspired people.”

And on race day at Hayward Field,with the stands full, Bence can still feelthe excitement and anticipation thatsurrounded a Prefontaine race. “He’d walkthrough the gate and all heads would turn,”

he says. “It was like everybody knew thatPre was walking into the field there. Theelectricity just caught on. … He’d go flat-outevery race and give it everything he had, andthat’s the way he was.” Linda Prefontaine isgrateful that so many people still rememberher brother. She’s seen the people cometo Pre’s Rock wanting to pay their respects,and she’s touched by their sincerity. Almost40 years after his death, the name StevePrefontaine is very much alive. “What a great thing, to do somethingin that short of a life that all these years

later, it’s not dying, it’s growing. The story isgrowing,” she says. “Other than the ending,it’s a great story, a motivating story.”

27


29/30

YOUR RACE IS

Do what you do. Better.

OUR PASSION


30/30

DO WHAT YOU DO

Sam Langford XLER8 Magazine

Documents