Roger Bannister : First man to run mile in under 4 minutes dies
Roger Bannister
CLOSE On Saturday   Roger Bannister   the first man to run a sub four-minute mile  died at age 88. Time
 Roger Bannister  breaks the 4-minute mile in 3 minutes  59.4 seconds on May 6  1954. (Photo: Getty Images  Getty Images)
LONDON â  Roger Bannister   the first runner to break the 4-minute barrier in the mile  has died.  He  was 88.
 Bannister âs family said in a statement that  he  died peacefully on Saturday in Oxford  the English city where the runner cracked the feat many had thought humanly impossible on a windy afternoon in 1954.
Helped by two pacemakers   Bannister  clocked 3 minutes  59.4 seconds over four laps at Oxfordâs Iffley Road track on May 6  1954  to break the 4-minute mile â a test of speed and endurance that stands as one of the defining sporting achievements of the 20th century.
âItâs amazing that more people have climbed Mount Everest than have broken the 4-minute mile â  Bannister  said in an interview with The Associated Press in 2012.
âIt became a symbol of attempting a challenge in the physical world of something hitherto thought impossible â  Bannister  said as  he  approached the 50th anniversary of the feat. âIâd like to see it as a metaphor not only for sport  but for life and seeking challenges.â
 He  might not have set the milestone but for the disappointment of finishing without a medal in the 1 500 meters  known as the metric mile  in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Instead of retiring from the sport   he  decided to chase the 4-minute mark.
âAs it became clear that somebody was going to do it  I felt that I would prefer it to be me â  Bannister  told the AP.
 He  also wanted to deliver something special for  his  country.
âI thought it would be right for Britain to try to get this â  Bannister  said. âThere was a feeling of patriotism. Our new queen had been crowned the year before  Everest had been climbed in 1953. Although I tried in 1953  I broke the British record  but not the 4-minute mile  and so everything was ready in 1954.â
 His  chance finally came on a wet  cool  blustery May afternoon during a meet between Oxford and the Amateur Athletic Association.
When  Bannister  looked up at the English flag whipping in the wind atop a nearby church   he  feared  he  would have to call off the record attempt. But  shortly before 6 p.m.  the wind died down. The race was on.
With Chris Brasher setting the pace on the cinder track  they ran a first lap in 57.5 seconds  then 60.7 â 1:58.2 for the half mile. Chris Chataway  a distance specialist  paced a third lap of 62.3 â 3:00.4.  Bannister  would need to run the final lap in 59 seconds.
With 250 yards to go   Bannister  surged past Chataway   his  long arms and legs pumping and  his  lungs gasping for oxygen.
âThe world seemed to stand still  or did not exist â  he  wrote in  his  book  âThe First Four Minutes.â
CLOSE On Saturday    [TGT]    the first man to run a sub four-minute mile  died at age 88. Time
 Roger Bannister  breaks the 4-minute mile in 3 minutes  59.4 seconds on May 6  1954. (Photo: Getty Images  Getty Images)
LONDON â   [TGT]    the first runner to break the 4-minute barrier in the mile  has died.   [TGT]   was 88.
  [TGT]  âs family said in a statement that   [TGT]   died peacefully on Saturday in Oxford  the English city where the runner cracked the feat many had thought humanly impossible on a windy afternoon in 1954.
Helped by two pacemakers   Bannister  clocked 3 minutes  59.4 seconds over four laps at Oxfordâs Iffley Road track on May 6  1954  to break the 4-minute mile â a test of speed and endurance that stands as one of the defining sporting achievements of the 20th century.
âItâs amazing that more people have climbed Mount Everest than have broken the 4-minute mile â   [TGT] said in an interview with The Associated Press in 2012.
âIt became a symbol of attempting a challenge in the physical world of something hitherto thought impossible â   [TGT] said as   [TGT]   approached the 50th anniversary of the feat. âIâd like to see it as a metaphor not only for sport  but for life and seeking challenges.â
  [TGT]   might not have set the milestone but for the disappointment of finishing without a medal in the 1 500 meters  known as the metric mile  in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Instead of retiring from the sport    [TGT]   decided to chase the 4-minute mark.
âAs it became clear that somebody was going to do it  I felt that I would prefer it to be me â   [TGT] told the AP.
  [TGT]   also wanted to deliver something special for   [TGT]   country.
âI thought it would be right for Britain to try to get this â   [TGT] said. âThere was a feeling of patriotism. Our new queen had been crowned the year before  Everest had been climbed in 1953. Although I tried in 1953  I broke the British record  but not the 4-minute mile  and so everything was ready in 1954.â
 His  chance finally came on a wet  cool  blustery May afternoon during a meet between Oxford and the Amateur Athletic Association.
When   [TGT] looked up at the English flag whipping in the wind atop a nearby church    [TGT]   feared   [TGT]   would have to call off the record attempt. But  shortly before 6 p.m.  the wind died down. The race was on.
With Chris Brasher setting the pace on the cinder track  they ran a first lap in 57.5 seconds  then 60.7 â 1:58.2 for the half mile. Chris Chataway  a distance specialist  paced a third lap of 62.3 â 3:00.4.   [TGT] would need to run the final lap in 59 seconds.
With 250 yards to go    [TGT] surged past Chataway    [TGT]   long arms and legs pumping and   [TGT]   lungs gasping for oxygen.
âThe world seemed to stand still  or did not exist â  he  wrote in  his  book  âThe First Four Minutes.â