![]() ![]() Then I might have–īill: That’s a constant, Pre. So, um, if I had gone out faster, I wouldn’t have gotten boxed. It’s hard to believe you never even thought about it. You won the trials in 13:22, five seconds faster than Viren at Munich. You couldn’t have done more than you did.īill: Rube. I was never prouder of anything than the effort you made that day. They don’t want to stop shitting on you any more than you want to change the way you run, because it hurts to change, doesn’t it, Pre?īill: Doesn’t it hurt to change? Bowerman on the human body’s limitsīill Bowerman: You know the greatest race I ever saw you run? Munich. I can’t believe you would sit back there, not say anything, and then be that dismissive about this.īill: I’ve been battling those freeloaders all your life and then so, Pre, and guess what? You and the AAU have a lot in common.īill: Resistance to change. – Bill Bowerman Bill Bowerman on resistance to changeīill Bowerman: Pretentious little rube, isn’t he? “It’s easier to beg forgiveness than ask permission.” It’s to test the limits of the human heart. But he finally got it through my head that the real purpose of running isn’t to win a race. Those who saw him compete and those who competed against him were never in any doubt about how much he wanted to win. And he was out to make it one every step of the way. He insisted on holding himself to a higher standard than victory.Ī race is a work of art. Winning a race wouldn’t necessarily demand that he give it everything he had from start to finish. Pre, you see, was troubled by knowing that a mediocre effort could win a race, and a magnificent effort can lose one. I tried like Hell to teach Pre to do that… and Pre taught me – taught me I was wrong. Actually, when I became a coach I tried to teach people how to do that. “All of my life – man and boy – I’ve operated under the assumption that the main idea in running was to win the damn race. You can read the full eulogy here (includes Frank Shorter). Bill Bowerman’s speech at Prefontaine’s funeral The woman’s a complete mystery to me.īill: I don’t have to know what she believes in. Pre: How do you and Barbara–uh–how do you and Barbara–I mean, uh, you uh, you pretty much believe in the same things?īill: Pre, I have no idea. Steve Prefontaine: I’d like to ask you something. – Bill Bowerman Bowerman on relationships “7:27 provokes the question, ‘Why 7:27?’ and everybody gets here at 7:27 to find out why.” – Bill Bowerman Bowerman calls a meeting at 7:27 But if you can find meaning, in the kind of running you have to do to stay on this team, chances are you will be able to find meaning in another absurd past-time: life.” Running, one might say, is basically an absurd past-time upon which to be exhausting ourselves. “Men of Oregon, I invite you to become students of your events. – Bill Bowerman Bowerman’s speech on the meaning of running The games were once your fellow Olympians answer to war – competition, not conquest. I hope the competition will resume, and if it does, you must not think that running… or throwing… or jumping… is frivelous. ![]() They understood there was more honor in out running a man than in killing him. to 393 A.D., your fellow Olympians laid down their arms to take part in these games. And if there’s one place that war doesn’t belong, it’s here. “This killing of Israel athletes is an act of war. – Bill Bowerman Bill Bowerman’s war & Olympics speech Just where and when this compulsion came from, no one can say for sure so like Plato and his tale of the world’s creation, I will not say absolutely. Always wanted to race out front, from the start, like he was trying to get away from something. That was our relationship, and even that never changed. And from the beginning, he tried not to change. From the beginning, I tried to change him. But it doesn’t mean faster, higher and stronger than who you are competing against. It’s been the motto for the Olympics for the last 2500 years. You might also enjoy my collection of Steve Prefontaine quotes from “Without Limits.” Bowerman was the track coach at the University of Oregon for 24 seasons, during which he coached running legend Steve Prefontaine. The most comprehensive collection of Bill Bowerman quotes from the movie “Without Limits.” Also includes Bill Bowerman’s speech in the movie (at Steve Prefontaine’s funeral). ![]()
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