Pre's Rock

Pre's Rock is a memorial to Olympic long distance runner Steve "Pre" Prefontaine. Prefontaine competed in the 1972 Olympics and, at one point, held seven different American track distance records. 

Prefontaine decided to compete for the University of Oregon under coach Bill Bowerman despite many top track programs in the country recruiting him out of high school.  During his career Prefontaine won an incredible 120 of 153 races and while at UO never lost a race longer than one mile. 

After winning a 5,000-meter race at Hayward Field, Prefontaine attended a party. When Prefontaine left he was driving on Skyline Boulevard near Hendrick Park and flipped his convertible into a rock wall. He was found by a local pinned beneath his car and declared dead when the ambulance arrived. He died May 30, 1975 at the age of 24. 

His death was called “the end of an era” by the Eugene Register-Guard. To honor Pre’s life the Prefontaine Classic has been held since 1975. There is also a memorial at the site of Pre’s death called Pre’s Rock.  Dedicated in December of 1997, Pre’s Rock acts a pilgrimage cite where many people leave shoes, track medals, numbers and other items to honor Pre’s memory.  Recently, there has been talk of Pre’s Rock becoming a landmark.

Dr Daniel Wojcik argues Pre's larger than life personality and charisma acts as a motivation in a spiritual pilgrimage, drawing people to visit his memorial and honor his life. Read more about Pre’s Rock here.  

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