Chapter 11 Summary and Analysis

May 29, 1975 was the date of Pre's last race, and the morning of May 30 was the date of the car accident that would take his life. After his 5000 meter win, Pre did victory laps and said goodbye to his fans. He visited his friend to shower, visited his former coach Bill Dellinger, and went with his girlfriend Nancy to the Paddock Tavern, where he had a few beers and chatted with friends. Pre and Nancy then visited the house of Geoff Hollister for a party to celebrate the successful Finnish meet. From there, at about 12:15am, Pre dropped his girlfriend off at her car and then dropped off his friend Frank Shorter.

Driving back home on Skyline Boulevard, for reasons still largely unknown, Pre's vehicle ran off the road, hit a natural rock at a sharp curve, and flipped over, pinning Pre...