Fire on the Track: The Steve Prefontaine Story
by Erich Lyttle
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DVD details
Actor: Frank Shorter, Scott ChambersDirector: Erich Lyttle
Narrator: Ken Kesey
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: NTSC
Running Time: 58 minutes
DVD Release Date: 1995-06-30
Studio: Chambers Productions
DVD Reviews of Fire on the Track: The Steve Prefontaine Story
DVD Review: Well produced documentary as far as it goes.
Summary: 4 Stars
This work is about one hour long. The product now on sale also includes a second DVD of extras. Some reviews indicate that an earlier product included only the main feature and I would agree that was somewhat skimpy at the price. On the other hand this is a limited audience product (and limited budget) whose costs cannot be spread out over millions of copies as with major cinematic features. I don't know about the production issues around this but it seems to me that Nike could have easily financed the acquisition of any needed footage and it would be very appropriate that they do so. It is a very good production for what might be a "labor of love".
Strengths.
1. Extensive set of substantial interviews with people who knew Prefontaine both in the feature and on the extra disc.
I especially liked getting Bowerman and Dellinger after being exposed to two movie portrayals and
Ian Stewart's reflections on the Munich 5000 before, during and after.
2. A well assembled biography including his fight with the AAU and role in the success of Nike.
3. The bio information that accompanies the interview segments on the extras DVD.
4. A fairly realistic assessment of Prefontaine's actual accomplishments and ability with a minimum of fan hype.
In particular I appreciate the realistic review of the Munich race. As good as he was it was unlikely that he could win it
even if it came down to a "guts race" (and for him it did) and even if the pace had been brisk from the start.
(A faster race would have probably preserved a medal for him with more distance back to the pack but one must seriously
question if Pre was capable of lowering his U.S. trials 13:22 PR to 13:17 to match Viren's in that faster race.)
Stewart makes this point well, everything Pre could threaten (like a sub 4:00 final 1600),
was within the reach of 3 or 4 others who would likely be in the race and with better finishing speed to boot.
Viren in particular had no reason to fear Pre as all his best times were substantially
superior to Prefontaine's including two world records (10K final, 5K heat) he had run at Munich event.
Viren had far more reason to be concerned with others in the field such as:
- Gammoudi, who had risen to the occasion in 1964 and 1968 to acquire a complete set of medals.
- 3000m WR holder Puttemans (record set in 1972) who would soon after beat Viren's WR by three seconds.
- Ian Stewart whose PR at the time was equivalent to Prefontaine's and thus could hang onto a pace
but also had the potential to finish the last lap under 55 seconds off a fast pace.
At Munich it is fair to say that Viren had Pre coming and going in the absence of a prodigious career breakthrough at age 21. In an article by Kenny Moore I found online it is clear that this was not a secret to Pre or his coaches and teammates before the race after they saw Viren set the 10K record on his way to a gold medal after falling down in mid-race. Their only hope was that it might have tired him a bit. What hope that gave was dashed by the delay caused by the Palestinian terror episode in which all the Israeli hostages were killed, that also provided Viren with ample rest.
Prefontaine ruled U.S. running in his events with an iron fist. But at no time was he demonstrably superior to the
whole world in peak form. His best times lagged the WR by many seconds at all times.
He held all the American records, a bit soft by world standards, but never held or seriously threatened a world record.
He seldom managed to dominate top non-Americans on the international circuit.
The race with Norpoth comes to mind. But perhaps Norpoth did have to bleed since to win Norpoth set his own PR 13:20.6,
about two seconds ahead of Pre's best time to date. Pre never promised to win every race, only that anyone who beat him would have to bleed to do it.
All that might have been just around the corner as the documentary suggests but it
never happened in the tangible reality of major international races won or world records set (or even a near miss).
6. It delivers a balanced portrayal and appreciation of a great athletic presence, rarely equaled competitive spirit,
and (is there a argument here?) the greatest U.S. born distance runner of all time.
Weakness.
Too short and bit superficial on the sport itself. Very little in the way of extended coverage of full events. The event coverage is extremely weak and running footage is mostly used to highlight the discussion or interview background. This is good for a general audience documentary but more should be done with the extras disc.
Considering the Prefontaine video I have found on You-Tube I think the (or another) extra DVD should have assembled many more complete races (or at least final several laps) with top competitors and with better video quality than You-Tube.
In particular:
The 1972 Olympic trials race against George Young with splits shown to compare with the presentation in Without Limits.
The 1972 Olympic final (there was enough in this DVD to see the critical fight before the finish however)
Some of his mile races in particular, the 3:54.6 race with Wottle, the indoor events on You-Tube.
Some of his wins in major U.S. events such as the NCCA or AAU, American record setting events etc.
Some of his three mile wins, especially under 13:00 which was not common at the time.
(I would like to see the real race portrayed in Without Limits, I think I found the time
but that race was against WSU not Stanford as portrayed in order to have Kardong in the race.
If someone can clear up this point I would appreciate it. I doubt there is footage for a regular season college meet.
I recall seeing Pre out-run Don Kardong in a Pac 8 final on TV at the time of the event.)
The HS two mile record.
American records at various distances or any really well contested races.
The 1973 race with Norpoth.
Actually, the more the better as far as I am concerned.
Given a choice, the record preserved by the interviews is more important, so the producers have done well.
Still I hope someone is working on preserving the archive footage of races.
Quibble:
The extra disc entry on Pre's personal records makes a point of stating that Pre's collegiate records for the 3 mile (12:53.4) and 6 mile (27:09.4) still stand. Anyone who knows anything knows that this is only because these distances are no longer contested and apparently no one is taking split times in the current 5K and 10K events. It does not take much arithmetic to realize that Rono's 5K 13:08.4 (a WR at the time incidentally at a mere dual meet) (or even Bill McChesney's "U.S. born" collegiate record of 13:15.8) are substantially superior to the 3 mile mark and that Kamau's 27:36.2 10K (and Ed Eyestone's "U.S. born" 27:41.5) are also comfortably ahead of the 6 mile mark. It is a disservice to a viewer who does not follow the sport to leave the impression that any of Pre's major records are really still standing (leaving out school records, meet records, stadium records etc. It will be quite a day in Coos Bay when anyone breaks the Marshfield HS records).
Questions:
Did Bowerman really run off 12:36 during the memorial service to represent a 63 second lap three mile as shown in Without Limits?
How did Pre really hurt his foot before that NCAA final?
Description of Fire on the Track: The Steve Prefontaine Story
"Pre" embodied the spirit of athletic excellence. He had a belief in self and sport that transcended all but the outer reaches of human speed and endurance. As a freshman, he appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated, which hailed him as "America's Distance Prodigy". By the time he died in a tragic auto accident at the age of 24, Pre held all 7 American records between 2,000 and 10,000 meters. Off the track, he fought relentlessly for the rights of amateur athletes to prosper for their sacrifices. Narrated by Ken Kesey, Fire On the Track is the story of this young lion's life, as told through rare footage and the memories of those who knew him best - his teammates, coaches, family and friends. Interviews include David Bedford, Frank Shorter, Ian Stewart, Bill Bowerman, Jeff Galloway, Dick Buerkle, Lasse Viren, Dana Carvey, Mac Wilkins, Kenny Moore, Dave Wottle, Alberto Salazar, and many more.The legendary distance runner Steve Prefontaine blazed across tracks and into America's consciousness before meeting a tragic death in an auto accident at the age of 24. In this tribute to "Pre," narrated by writer Ken Kesey, a number of his contemporaries speak movingly of him as an athlete and a person. After setting high school running records in his native Oregon, Prefontaine went on to the University of Oregon, where as a freshman he began to dominate the American track scene and appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated. He was a distinctive character and archival films demonstrate the charisma and astounding confidence he brought to his sport. His race in the 5,000 meters at the 1972 Munich Olympics is shown in detail, with other runners in the race offering commentary on the gutsy performance of the 21-year-old. Pre didn't win a medal in the race, but as his sister puts it, the race "matured him" and made him determined to win gold at the 1976 Montreal Olympics (which he wouldn't live to do). Though one of the world's best athletes, after college he was forced to survive on food stamps, and he became a spokesman for the plight of amateur athletes. This is a touching look at a brilliant athlete and a charming character who still inspires runners today. --Robert J. McNamara
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