Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1954-07-11
UnheraIded Briton
Breaks Smile Mark
Final Haegg Record

LONDON. July 10. - Freddie
Green. an unheralded Briton,
today smashed the world three
mile running record and with
his startling I3::32.2 checking
erased the last OF the Gunder
Haegg world marks from track
and field annals.
When 1854 began, four Of the
Swedish wonder runners rec
ordS were on the books. Since
May. Roger Bannister Of Britain
and John Landy have bettered
his mile mark with their four
minute epics. Landy Of Aus
tralia also broke the $500 meter
record Of the great Swede. Emil
Zatopek Of Czechosloyakia a
month ago ended his reign over
the 5000 meters.
Haegg's two mile, 1000 and
S.O00-meter marks were erased
previously.
Now, today on the White city
Stadium track before 4 crowd
Of $4,000 ut the British Amateur
Athletic Association champion
ships. Green. q 28-year-old war
time parachutist. came home in
q thrilling finish a few inches
ahead Of Chris Chataway.
Never Won Important Race.
Both Green. who never won q
British title nor an important
race, and Chataway, the 23-
year-old brewer who ran second
to both Bannister and Landy in
their famous miles. were clicked
two-tenths Of q second faster
than Haegg's time set in 1912.
Both will have their times sent
up for joint approval by the
international Amateur Athletic
Association.
In their day-only 1912 years
ago-the Haegg world marks
were accepted as the peak of
athletic endeavor. Now all are
gone.
Strangely, the last Haegg
world mark to go was his most
vulnerable. 1t was set while
Haegg was on his way to his
5000 meter mark.
Strangely. also, the man who
broke the mark had no apparent
confidence he would even win
the race-let alone go on to q
world record.
Green was so accustomed to
being little more than a pace
maker he actually slowed down
just as the last lap got under
way.
The slight runner with a thin
mustache plainly could be seen
turning to Chataway. who was
at his heels, and waving him on
Chataway went ahead, but
suddenly, on the last ben d,
Green surged forward to take a
short lead and held on to wins
Green had been told by his
doctors last February he must
give up running because Of a
strained leg nerve. II rested my
leg and ignored the doctors ad-
vice, resuming training with the
ambition this year was going to
be now or never one and ]
would retire at the end of the
season." Green said today.
II knew the world record was
in sight when ! heard the time
of IL minutes, 800 seconds with
one lap to co." he continued.
Green speed that last quarter
-as did Chataway-in GIG sec
onds. They passed the two mile;
| in 9:01.6 and were trailing the
early pace setter. a tall Kenys
Negro runner, N. l.. Maiyoro
past the mile in 1924.
Bannister Retains Title.
A few minutes earlier today
Bannister marked his first Seri-
Gus mile since his 1884 OXFORD
race May 6 by retaining his Ma.
tional title in 4:07.6.
Bannister, who qualified as q
medical doctor yesterday, tool
1t very easily, permitting the
field to loaf past the three-Quar
ter mark in 3:13.8. Then he un-
corked that great finishing
sprint of his and ran the last
40 yards in the almost unbe-
lievable time Of 53.8 seconds.
An Irish lad, Brendan O'Rielly
took the high Jump for Fire with
6 feet, 5 inches. In this event
an American Air Force man
Gordon Prior of Pittsburgh
went out at 6 feet. ! inch.