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The Front Runner: The Life of Steve Prefontaine Kindle Edition

4.6 out of 5 stars 53 ratings
4.6 on Goodreads
101 ratings

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"Sports journalism at its finest, a book so well-researched that everyone who thinks they know Pre is in for a big surprise.” Christopher McDougall, bestselling author of Born to Run

On the 50th anniversary of American Track and Field icon Steve Prefontaine’s tragic death comes an essential reappraisal of his life and legacy, a powerful work of narrative history exploring the forces and psychology that made Prefontaine great and separating the man from the myths.

In the fifty years since his tragic death in a car crash, Steve Prefontaine has towered over American distance running. One of the most recognizable and charismatic figures to ever run competitively in the United States, Prefontaine has endured as a source of inspiration and fascination—a talent who presaged the American running boom of the late 1970s and helped put Nike on the map as the brand’s first celebrity-athlete face.

Now on the anniversary of his untimely death, author Brendan O’Meara, host of the Creative Nonfiction podcast, offers a fresh, definitive retelling of Prefontaine’s life, revisiting one of the most enigmatic figures in American sports with a twenty-first-century lens. Through over a hundred and fifty original interviews with family, friends, teammates, and competitors, this long-overdue reappraisal of Prefontaine—the first such exhaustive treatment in almost thirty years—provides never-before-told stories about the unique talent, innovative mental strength, and personal struggles that shaped Prefontaine on and off the track. Bringing new depth to an athlete long eclipsed by his brash, aggressive running style and the heartbreak of his death at twenty-four, O’Meara finds the man inside the myth, scrutinizing a legacy that has shaped American sports culture for decades.

What emerges is a singular portrait of a distinctly American talent, a story written in the pines and firs of the Pacific Northwest back when running was more blue-collar love than corporate pursuit—the story of a runner whose short life casts a long, fast shadow.

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Product description

About the Author

Brendan O'Meara is the founder and host of the Creative Nonfiction podcast. As a sportswriter, he's covered a wide swath of events including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, and Belmont Stakes, as well as several local and professional sports for Trail Runner Magazine, Bleacher Report and the Associated Press. His essays and craft pieces have appeared in Writer's Digest, Brevity, Creative Nonfiction Magazine, and Longreads. He lives in Oregon.



Roger Wayne served in the Air Force as a radio and television broadcast journalist in South Korea and won several awards before obtaining a BA degree in communications and journalism. He is an actor living in New York, narrating audiobooks, working on independent film projects, performing off Broadway, and auditioning for major network shows.

--This text refers to the audioCD edition.

Review

"In this electric, superbly drawn portrait, Brendan O'Meara strips away the mythology surrounding Steve Prefontaine through over a hundred interviews with those who knew him best. Charting Prefontaine's fierce ascendance to the pantheon of American sport, O'Meara reveals the complex soul behind the brash facade--a rough-and-tumble kid from Oregon who revolutionized distance running and left an indelible mark on athletic history."

-- "Neal Bascomb, New York Times bestselling author " --This text refers to the audioCD edition.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0CXNCV1WZ
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Mariner Books
  • Accessibility ‏ : ‎ Learn more
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ May 20 2025
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 14.6 MB
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 441 pages
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0063348981
  • Page Flip ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 53 ratings

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
53 global ratings

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Top reviews from other countries

  • TLS
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gave me a whole new perspective on the psychology of competition & the yearning to achieve.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 22, 2025
    Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase
    I'm *not* actually a sports fan, but I loved this deep look into the mind & ego of a die-hard competitor, a kid who became a champion too young, & an athlete w/killer confidence. Plus an ending that I kind of saw coming but also didn't, where I wanted to both look away and keep rushing through the pages to find out what was actually going to happen. A really subtle but powerful suspense that knocked me back!
  • Pete
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Greatest Middle Distance Runner
    Reviewed in the United States on June 23, 2025
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Steve Prefontaine was one of my idols growing up, and I remember the horrible day that he died. This book is an amazing insight into one of the greatest middle distance runners who once held all the American records from the one mile to the six mile. I knew a lot about Pre before reading this book, but this book provided even more interesting details and interviews from people who knew the greatest US runner.
  • Siobhan
    5.0 out of 5 stars For lovers of Seabiscuit
    Reviewed in the United States on May 31, 2025
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    This book pulls you in from the first page and doesn't let go. O'Meara breathes fresh life into the story of a running legend who paved the way for American athletes to be compensated and helped make Nike, and the whole athletic-wear industry, the culture-influencing force it is today. You don't have to be a runner to love this book. Fans of Laura Hillenbrand and anyone who looking for a spark of fiery determination to set you after your goals will all find this book engorssing and inspiring.
  • W. Moore
    5.0 out of 5 stars A new look at Pre’s impact on the world of running
    Reviewed in the United States on June 28, 2025
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Great book. During the description of the races, I felt like I was sitting in the stands watching.
  • Christine S.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pre was not just a fierce runner, but fought other battles
    Reviewed in the United States on June 4, 2025
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Terrific read! Little is known how Steve Prefontaine battled the AAU in efforts to improve the lot of amateur athletes.
    This was the same AAU that tried to push Kathrine Switzer off the Boston Marathon course because she was (gasp)
    ia WOMAN! Much to learn here.
    Fine piece of writing by O'Meara.

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