Steve Prefontaine Quotes - 9quotes.com

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To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
A lot of people run a race to see who is fastest. I run to see who has the most guts, who can punish himself into exhausting pace, and then at the end, punish himself even more.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
Something inside of me just said 'Hey, wait a minute, I want to beat him,' and I just took off.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
What I want is to be number one.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
I'm going to work so that it's a pure guts race at the end, and if it is, I am the only one who can win it.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they're capable of understanding.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
Some people create with words or with music or with a brush and paints. I like to make something beautiful when I run. I like to make people stop and say, 'I've never seen anyone run like that before.' It's more than just a race, it's a style. It's doing something better than anyone else. It's being creative.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
No one will ever win a 5,000-meter by running an easy two miles. Not against me.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
My philosophy is that I'm an artist. I perform an art not with a paint brush or a camera. I perform with bodily movement. Instead of exhibiting my art in a museum or a book or on canvas, I exhibit my art in front of the multitudes.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
When people go to a track meet, they're looking for something, a world record, something that hasn't been done before. You get all this magnetic energy, people focusing on one thing at the same time. I really get excited about it. It makes me want to compete even more. It makes it all worthwhile, all the hours of hard work.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
If he's having a good day and running the right race, nobody can beat Frank Shorter at 10,000 meters... nobody except me.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
Kids made fun of me because I was a slow learner, because I was hyperactive, because of a lot of things. Running gave me confidence.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
Nobody likes tainted victories.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
Every once in a while I think, 'What am I doing out here running, busting myself up? Life could be so much easier. The other guys are out having fun, doing other things, why not me?'
Written by Steve Prefontaine
I've been in international competition, and now I know what the big boys can do. You don't go out and just run. There's an offense and a defense.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
You probably choose x-country because you were too small to play football.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
To hell with love of country - I compete for myself.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
I'm the one who has made all the sacrifices. Those are my American records, not the country's.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
People say I should be running for a gold medal for the old red, white and blue and all that bull, but it's not gonna be that way.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
American athletes, especially distance runners, are at a big disadvantage against the rest of the world. We're expected to live by all the rules, like not being able to coach, but still train and make our own living.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
For me, running against the Poles and Czechs would be like running against high school kids. And I hate all this gung-ho, run-for-the-red-white-and-blue attitude that the AAU spouts. If that's important to some people, fine, more power to 'em. But, damn it, I wish they'd leave me alone to do what I want to do - run against the best.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
I like to be able to go out to dinner once in a while. I like to be able to drive my MG up the McKenzie River on a weekday afternoon. I like to be able to pay my bills on time.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
I know places you better speak low if you've been to college. Men will come across the room and cold-deck you if you hold your glass wrong.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
Did you ever run behind a slow pack? You get a trailing wind and a lot of body odor.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
I used to say, 'Hey, man, what kind of a stupid question is that?' to a newspaperman asking me heavy things right after a race when I'm still in an emotional state. Now I at least try to answer.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
I don't care about being on television.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
It's not who's the best - it's who can take the most pain.
Written by Steve Prefontaine
I don't just go out there and run. I like to give people watching something exciting.
Written by Steve Prefontaine

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