Steve Prefontaine was undoubtedly one of the gutsiest and most determined runners of all time. Most collegiate and professional runners have guts and determination, they give their all, and do their best. But Steve Prefontaine stuck out; he wasn’t just any great runner, he was especially gutsy. He once said, “A lot of people run a race to see who is the fastest. I run to see who has the most guts.” Although we all know that whoever wins a race is whoever runs the fastest; for Prefontaine it was about who tried their hardest, not who got to the finish line first. Prefontaine, like many runners, knew that racing isn’t just about who gets the medal. It’s about determination and hard work. It’s about giving everything you have and being able to say after a race that there was nothing more you possibly could’ve done. Anybody can give their all and finish a race with nothing left, but there are not very many people who are willing to do that. That is what this quote means to me, and what I think that Prefontaine was trying to convey. Sometimes you aren’t feeling well at the time of a race or maybe you’re injured. And sometimes someone is just faster than you. But that’s never an excuse to not give a race your all. Steve Prefontaine knew just as well as any runner that there will always be someone who is faster than you. But that doesn’t mean they have more guts, and it doesn’t mean that they are “better” than you. This doesn’t just apply to running, but all things in life. Just doing the bare minimum in school or work will never get you that promotion or the valedictorian spot. Life is about being the best person you can be on and off the track, and that takes guts. Not everyone is willing to run gutsy, because quite frankly it sucks. Your whole body hurts, and it wants to just stop running. But if you can get past that and just keep running, in my opinion it is one of the most rewarding things ever as an athlete.
Danielle McLain
