Tom Jordan (1)

I picked up a copy of this book because I was interested in learning more about Steve Prefontaine after seeing the two-page Nike advertisement in this month's "Rolling Stone," which features the caption "Where Are All the Rock Star Runners" superimposed on the famous picture of Pre breaking the tape in his last race with no competitor in sight.

Some reviewers have pointed out that this biography is a little lean on insight into Pre as a person, a criticism with some validity. Rather than devoting a lot of space to analyzing what made Pre tick, the author relies on his running performances, together with a smattering of observations from some of Pre's competitors, teammates and coaches, to coax out his human side. (An appendix listing every race Pre ran on the outdoor track, from his high school days onward, will be of special interest to hard-core runners.) This race-centric approach was quite appropriate here; Pre said that he viewed the track as his canvas and his races as works of art.

The book left me with a better understanding of why Pre, thirty years after his tragic death, remains the patron saint of aspiring U.S distance runners: he ran unafraid, often from the front, regularly outlasting more naturally-gifted runners through his indomitable will and courage, all the while exuding a raw charisma rarely seen in the sport.

-Kevin Joseph, author of "The Champion Maker"… (mehr)