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" What does it prove, running in the AAU meet? "

Steve Prefontaine

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" 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. "

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" To hell with love of country - I compete for myself. "

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" Somebody may beat me, but they are going to have to bleed to do it. "

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" What I want is to be number one. "

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" If the Olympics come around, and I'm in shape, then I'll compete. But I won't be representing the United States; I'll be representing myself. "

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" 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. "

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" It doesn't feel that good when you're ahead the whole way. "

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" A race is a work of art that people can look at and be affected in as many ways they're capable of understanding. "

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" 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?' "

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" 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. "

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" I'm the one who has made all the sacrifices. Those are my American records, not the country's. "

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" What I like most about track is the feeling I get inside after a good run. "

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" Nobody likes tainted victories. "

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" It's not who's the best - it's who can take the most pain. "

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" If you can make money with your talents, why not? "

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" If I want to go to Europe and get thrashed by the Europeans, that's my business. Every race I lose I learn from and get tougher. "

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" If I lose forcing the pace all the way, well, at least I can live with myself. But if it's a slow pace, and I get beaten by a kicker who leaches off the front, then I'll always wonder, 'What if...?' "

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" 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. "

Steve Prefontaine

" I don't care about being on television. "

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" If he's having a good day and running the right race, nobody can beat Frank Shorter at 10,000 meters... nobody except me. "

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" Why shouldn't I do what I want to do... I'm an American citizen. "

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" 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. "

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" You probably choose x-country because you were too small to play football. "

Steve Prefontaine

" World records at 19. I don't want that. Later, yes. And when it comes, I'll learn to live with it, but it won't be my first love. "

Steve Prefontaine

" If anybody wants to beat me, let them run a world record. "

Steve Prefontaine

" I knew I had to show everybody that I could excel at something. But I didn't know what. "

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. "

Steve Prefontaine

" I decided that if I was going to continue in track, that I didn't want to lose, that I wasn't going to lose. "

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" Something inside of me just said 'Hey, wait a minute, I want to beat him,' and I just took off. "

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. "

Steve Prefontaine