Unseen , though , was another opponent : Prefontaine , whose presence decades after his death on May 30 , 1975 , at the age of 24 , has loomed large over long distance running in the United States . Steve Smith broke the 5,000 meter record at the U.S. Olympic trials in 1972 . The Olympic record is one of the most elusive in track and field . ' Rupp broke the record by less than nine - tenths of a second . ` ` To hear I got the record , that 's unreal , '' Rupp says .
Steve Smith broke the 5,000 meter record at the U.S. Olympic trials in 1972 . The Olympic record is one of the most elusive in track and field . ' Rupp broke the record by less than nine - tenths of a second . ` ` To hear I got the record , that 's unreal , '' Rupp says .