Most sporting stories have a lifetime. A decade or maybe two after an athlete leaves the field or the court or the track, the memory of their exploits fades until only the historians of that sport are familiar with their career. Sometimes, though, an athlete is so talented and makes such a connection to the public that their reputations live on, burnished by time rather than buried by it.

In The Front Runner, author Brendan O’Meara tells us the story of the elite 1970s runner Steve Prefontaine. O’Meara’s impressive research and lively prose make it clear why Prefontaine’s, or “Pre” as he’s still known by so many in the world of running, legend still burns 50 years after his untimely death in Eugene, Oregon.

Continue reading →