Four decades after he last ran for Oregon, Steve Prefontaine's legend is stronger than ever in Eugene and across his home state. "Pre" lives on in the hearts and minds of those who watched him gut out victories, as well as those born long after he died at age 24

At Oregon, where the football program has grown to be one of the strongest in the nation, one athlete stands above the rest: Steve Prefontaine. The cross country and middle-distance star, who last raced for the Ducks in 1973 -- before dying in a car accident two years later -- has legendary status in Oregon, where almost everyone knows his name. My story for ESPN.com's Endurance Sports section on Pre's still-growing legacy: http://espn.go.com/sports/endurance/story/_/id/9657775/endurance-sports-steve-prefontaine-legend-growing-40-years