Drawing from the legacy of Steve Prefontaine, fondly known as Pre, the proceeding running events seem well-placed. Hailed as the epitome of gutsy runners, Pre was synonymous with audacity and showmanship in long-distance running. The gentle rivalry between Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr, claiming to be the supreme 1,500 metre runner, appears to be a continuation of Pre’s charismatic streak.
Ingebrigtsen and Kerr will have their inaugural race this year at the Prefontaine Classic, to be held on Saturday at the University of Oregon’s newly renovated Hayward Field. This event is the sole American location of the 2024 Diamond League. The main event, the Bowerman Mile, pays tribute to Pre’s iconic coach Bill Bowerman who was also known to be quite unabashed about his accomplishments.
Pre’s legacy echoes throughout Oregon, his birthplace. Born and raised in the coastal city of Coos Bay, Oregon, Pre’s reputation began to take root at Hayward Field. With a series of victories, he was the first American to bag four NCAA titles in a single event at his alma mater. He also had his last race at this very track, winning the 5,000m before tragically passing away in a car crash hours later, on his way back from a felicitation party. The incident took place 49 years ago next Thursday, on May 30th, 1975, when Pre was just 24.
Pre’s sole Olympic outing was at Munich, where he finished fourth in the 5,000 metres, after being narrowly beaten by Britain’s Ian Stewart who secured the bronze. Despite his valiant run in the frontrunner position for most of the last four laps, the defeat shattered him. The ultimate victory was taken home by Lasse Viren.
Pre is frequently compared to James Dean in American movie history – both were rebels, only Pre had a cause. He once stated his love for creating something aesthetically pleasing when running, and liked it when people remarked how uniquely he runs. Pre saw running as more than a competition, but also a manifestation of style.
On the week following his demise, the Prefontaine Classic was organised for the first time. In the last year, this race also served as the final for the Diamond League, where Ingebrigtsen bagged the Bowerman Mile in 3:43.73, the third quickest time yet, just 0.60 seconds behind the 3:43.13 world record.
After an eight month hiatus from racing following an Achilles injury last October, the Norwegian 23-year-old will make his return this Saturday. Along with the injury, he has also faced a challenging personal year, marked by the painful departure from his father and ex-trainer Gjert Ingebrigtsen, as per his elder brother Henrik’s comment. However, according to Ingebrigtsen himself, his training matches his desired level, making Saturday’s competition a thrilling precursor to the upcoming Olympic showdown with Kerr on 6th August.
Recently, on a podcast dedicated to European Athletics, Ingebrigtsen remained confident about his chances in the Olympic 1,500 metre race, stating that barring any injuries or illnesses, it should be “a walk in the park”. As a testament to his prowess, he secured the Olympic 1,500 metre gold in Tokyo at just 20 years of age, setting an Olympic record of 3:28.32. Kerr finished third in that race with his lifelong best of 3:29.05. Moreover, Ingebrigtsen set the fourth fastest time in history last year, running 3:27.14.
While this Saturday’s race, or the Paris event, will not just be between two athletes, promising racers like Jake Wightman of Scotland, American Yared Nuguse (who finished second to Ingebrigtsen last year with a time of 3:43.97), and Australian competitor Olli Hoare will also participate. However, Ingebrigtsen is still favoured to win, in my opinion.
In February of the previous year, Kerr set a new two-mile indoor world record with a time of 8:00.67. This rekindled the playful banter with Ingebrigtsen that had begun months earlier, in August, in Budapest. On this occasion, Kerr achieved a victory over Ingebrigtsen in the 1,500m race at the World Championships.
Ingebrigtsen made a statement to Tv2, a Norwegian broadcaster, about Kerr’s record-breaking performance. He claimed he could have surpassed Kerr even while blindfolded, but also expressed his appreciation for their progress in the sport. This led to an amusing Runner’s World headline stating: “Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Defeated By Josh Kerr Without a Blindfold, Claims He Can Win With a Blindfold”.
Ingebrigtsen, still smarting from the defeat in Budapest, justified afterwards that he had been unwell during the entire week of the race. He pointed out that if a runner stumbles or falls, the victory tends to pass to the next in line, in this instance being Kerr.
In post-race discussions with various media outlets, Kerr suggested that Ingebrigtsen suffers from significant weaknesses, which he attributed to his ego. Kerr also questioned Ingebrigtsen’s manners and the influence of the “yes men” around him.
Ingebrigtsen continued the verbal duel in February, stating to Norwegian daily Stavanger Aftenblad that Kerr’s psychological tactics seemed desperate and might appear foolish, as he was confident in his ability to beat Kerr and Wightman 98% of the time. “I’m certain that I’ll claim victory in our next encounter,” Ingebrigtsen said.
In March, while entertaining Rick Broadbent from the London Times at his Sandes home, Ingebrigtsen responded to accusations of egoism by asserting that some athletes were afraid to predict victories for fear of failing, but he felt this type of self-imposed restraint was dull. If not competing with the intent to win, he said he’d be better off reading a book.
Concluding his thoughts, Ingebrigtsen repeated an age-old athletics maxim: “This is competition. It’s not a love story.”
Whilst their banter isn’t reaching the heights of Ali-Frazier rivalry, there’s an underlying animosity beginning to show, one that bodes well for the game’s spirit. Pre would have been thrilled and most certainly given his approval.
Encore, Pre!