Would Steve Prefontaine have been a good marathon runner?

[williamwindhamjr]

I think with more mileage and his mental grit he would of atleast held his own against the best in the USA.

[Marlow]

a. his successful foray into the 10000 indicates a 'yes'.
b. his hard-headed approach to racing indicates a 'no'.

[Brian]

a. his successful foray into the 10000 indicates a 'yes'.
b. his hard-headed approach to racing indicates a 'no'.

All I know is the crowds and aid station workers after 20 miles had better not have delicate sensibilities as far as spicy language!

[Mighty Favog]

a. his successful foray into the 10000 indicates a 'yes'.
b. his hard-headed approach to racing indicates a 'no'.

Much like Kenyan men prior to about 1993 (Wakiihuri excluded).

[Matt]

I think he would have run 1:59:00.

[lovetorun]

I think Marlow's second point would prevail...Pre lacks the necessary patience to run a good marathon.

[tandfman]

I think he might not have been able to resist the temptation later in his career, especially when he saw the attention that guys like Salazar were getting.

[huntinwr]

Would Prefontaine have been a good marathon runner?

This has come up before in discussions about what would have happened had he not died.

His contemporaries have stated they he didn't like long road runs, maxing out at about 12 miles. Thus he probably wouldn't have been willing to do the kind of mileage necessary. He wasn't the patient type.

[Halfmiler2]

I doubt he would have tried it before Frank Shorter had stepped aside. But there would have come a point in his career (probably after 1980) that he would have had to move up or stopped competing. Although I never met Pre as some of you did, i am not so sure that he would have hung up the running shoes without giving the marathon at least one shot - especially if he did not have an Olympic gold, or even a medal. Of course, he might have been totally soured by the 1980 boycott. But I would not have been surprised to see him try a marathon in 1982 at age 31 before Helsinki in 1983 and LA in 1984..

[Dutra]

I think he might not have been able to resist the temptation later in his career, especially when he saw the attention that guys like Salazar were getting.

My guess is that Pre would have been doing something else by the time Salazar was getting marathon attention....other than running that is.

[PZhelev]

Re: Would Steve Prefontaine have been a good marathon runner

I think with more mileage and his mental grit he would of atleast held his own against the best in the USA.

Good - yes.
The best - no.