Pre Didn't Wear ****ing Dragonflies

nike doesn't realize (or maybe they do and don't care) that current shoe technology has rendered all of Pre's times irrelevant. Current LRC community will have you believe that Pre ran in shoes made of burlap and wood all the while running on a track made of sand and this is why Pre's times are irrelevant - not the fact that dragonflies can instantly subtract 15 seconds off your 5k time. Pre in Dragonflies is a 13:05 5ker.

He also didn't f****ing win anything!

Abebe Bikila didn't wear ****ing shoes and he won more than Pre ever did.

So Bekele could have run a 12:22?

They help inferior runners - even sub 4 milers - far more than true elites

Technology has and will continue to make running faster. Imagine running in the spikes of Ryun or Pre on a dirt track. Of course runners are faster now. It is unfair to directly compare times across different eras of running. Context is always needed.

Yet still, at the Oregon Relays (super shoes, super track), Gorze could not beat Pre's time from '69. It shows just how impressive those past runners were, despite falling out of the top of the lists.

So not even top 20 US all time performances

He didn't even have a smartphone.

dragonfly’s*

Pre didn't run in jasaris either. Pre is a marketing tool. He looked cool, he had 2 movies and a documentary, his races are still fun to watch. I haven't paid attention to nike advertising in years, but you wouldn't surprise me if they were marketing dragonflies with pr.

Pre's Nikes with the waffle design were probably the super shoe of his time.

How? 's would be a possessive. The plural of dragonfly is dragonflies

Uh huh - that’s why he won in Munich… oh, wait.

Another thing of different era's: There were no fat pro contracts waiting for high schooler's, maybe a scholarship. Back then, even a decade later your season was dual meets, 1 or 2 random instate invites, district and state. None of this national invite BS which may lead to fast times...and lead to burnout sooner. Also ALL equipment is better today.

Pre was a pacesetter for the three medalists in the 10k. Pacers don’t need fancy stuff

Maybe it doesn't matter. It's a fringe sport.

Complaining about the shoes is the same as complaining about the new shuttlecocks in badminton.

There is some truth here, though. Nike has robbed the sport of its history.

Not wrong. Badminton is probably objectively bigger than World Athletics in China alone.

But their Purchasing Power Parity is 10% of the Western Europe/USA marketplace for...

Super *Shows*

Did Pre even wear his seat belt?

He didn't wear Jasaris either, or Zoom Victories

And if he did, he'd be a 13:21 5ker.