A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways as they’re capable of understanding- Steve Prefontaine
32nd Annual Prefontaine Memorial Run: September 17th, 2011: Runners from all over the country will come to Coos Bay in September to honor one of our favorite sons, Steve Prefontaine. “Pre” was born and raised in Coos Bay, Oregon and graduated from Marshfield High School. When he entered the University of Oregon in the fall of 1969, he was one of most highly recruited high school track athletes ever and went on to compete in international meets against the USSR, Germany, Great Britain and a combined European team. His life was tragically cut short in a car accident at the age of 24. At the time of his death, Pre held every American distance running record from 2-miles through 10,000 meters.
To learn more about The Prefontaine Memorial Run or to register, visit www.prefontainerun.com/run
Here are some other points of interest to check out during your Coos Bay visit:
- Prefontaine Gallery located in the Coos Art Museum. Here, you will find an original painting of Pre by artist Chris Hopkins and the permanent collection of Steve’s awards and memorabilia as well as numerous photographs highlighting his illustrious running career. Admission is free during the Bay Area Fun Festival.
- Marshfield High School: Under the guidance of Coach Walt McClure, this is where Pre became a force to be reckoned with, and where he set his last American record on May 9, 1975 at 2,000 meters in 5:01.4.
- Farr’s True Value Hardware: Stop in and meet Jay Farr, one of our community members who knew Steve as a friend, teammate and classmate. Jay, also a runner, is a 1969 graduate of Marshfield High School who went on to graduate from Yale. Jay has also been the Head Cross Country Coach at Marshfield and is a founding member of the Prefontaine Memorial Committee.
- Huggins Insurance: 445 Elrod Avenue, Coos Bay. Bob Huggins is the Executive Director of the Prefontaine Memorial Committee who has an amazing collection of Pre’s memorabilia on display in his office.
- Grave Site Steve Prefontaine was laid to rest at Sunset Memorial Park just south of Coos Bay, where many come to pay tribute and reflect on this special life taken too soon
Steve Prefontaine's grave at Sunset Memorial Park