Roger Bannister : Athletes : Bring Back the Mile Birthday: 03/23/29 Mile PR: 3:58.8 - 1954 Metric Mile (1500m) PR: 3:42.2 - 1954 High School: City of Bath Boys' School Hometown: Harrow, England College: Exeter College, Merton College, Oxford & St. Mary's Hospital Medical School Current Residence: Oxford, GBR Roger Bannister of Great Britain etched his name into the history books by becoming the first man to break the "once thought impossible if not fatal", but magical 4 minute barrier in the Mile. On Thursday, May 6, 1954 at Oxford’s Iffley Road track, the 1952 Olympian ran 3:59.4. His world record only lasted 46 days, but its historic and iconic importance resonates today in the sport and beyond. At the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada, Bannister beat the only other man at the time to run sub-4 minutes, John Landy of Australia.

This thrillng race has been called The Mile of the Century or Miracle Mile. For the first time in the same Mile race, two men broke 4 minutes with Bannister clocking a PR 3:58.8 followed by the Aussie in 3:59.6. In his career, Bannister only bested 4 minutes twice, and also in 1954, he won the 1500m gold medal at the European Championships in Bern, Switzerland - this was his last competitive race. Sir Roger Bannister made Companion of Honor in New Year’s Honors List December 31, 2016 "I would hope that my colleagues with whom I worked in hospitals for 25 years will appreciate the honor, as well as those who were in the world of running.” By Luke Sproule, The Oxford Times Sir Roger Bannister , celebrated neurologist and the first man to run a Mile in less than 4 minutes,... Sporting legend Roger Bannister calls for “optimism” ahead of Olympic Games August 06, 2016 "There will always be failures, wrongdoing and cheating in every human endeavour.

Britain should be bursting with pride over our Froomes, Murrays, Ennis-Hills and Mo Farahs. They inspire amateur athletes all over the world." By Hannah Somerville, Oxford Mail Special “Bannister” Screening Set for New Balance Falmouth Road Race Expo August 05, 2016 Q&A to feature athlete who ran in historic first sub-4 minute Mile race and American record holder Alan Webb FALMOUTH, Mass. — To mark the return of the elite Mile to Falmouth after a one-year hiatus, “Bannister: Everest on the Track", will be screened at the New Balance Falmouth Road Race’s... (Sir) Roger and Me July 30, 2016 “As I have said, winning Olympic races is more important than the 4 minute Mile. It so happens that the rest of the world thinks otherwise.” - Sir Roger Bannister By Pat Butcher, GlobeRunner.com Oh dear! I watched Everest on the Track, the documentary of Roger Bannister and the 4 minute Mile...

Book details 1954 Empire Games glory and ‘Miracle Mile’ April 20, 2016 We have in the BC Sports Hall of Fame collection one of the 25 Omega stopwatches that was used to time the Miracle Mile and unbelievably it’s still stopped at Roger Bannister ’s winning time of 3 minutes, 58.8 seconds! By Megan Stewart, The Vancouver Courier The stand-alone image of the 1954... Bannister’s Sub-4 Minute Mile Named Greatest Athletic Achievement November 18, 2005 For Forbes' panel of experts, editors and readers, one feat did emerge as a clear winner: the first sub-4 by Roger Bannister in 1954 By David M. Ewalt with Lacey Rose, Forbes.com At their best, sports are about more than just winning games and diverting crowds. They test the limits of what... Q&A with Tom Ratcliffe, director of Bannister: Everest on the Track April 13, 2016 Despite all of the acclaim, he’s definitely a humble guy who understands the achievement but doesn’t let himself get too carried away with it.

By Christopher Chavez, Sports Illustrated When Roger Bannister crossed the finish line at Oxford’s Iffley Road track in 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds on... Sir Roger Bannister donates diaries to Oxford’s library March 25, 2016 Mile legend's collection filled more than 50 boxes, includes letters, diaries, speeches, articles, photographs and film from his career over the years. By Sports Illustrated Wire Sir Roger Bannister celebrated his 87th birthday by making his diaries public for the first time at Oxford's... December 11, 2015 First sub-4 minute Mile one such memorable moment: “So the Everest of athletics has been scaled, the sound barrier of running has been penetrated. Roger Gilbert Bannister, 25-year-old medical student, may never find the panacea for all ills the human flesh is heir to, but he has found the... Phil Knight: I would have tried to sign Roger Bannister October 01, 2015 “A lot of people said it was impossible.

I was a junior in high school [when Bannister broke the 4 minute barrier] and my history teacher says, ‘The stopwatches were wrong, a human being can’t run that fast.'” By Nick Zaccardi, NBC Sports It’s no surprise that Nike co-founder Phil Knight,... The day Sir Roger Bannister reclaimed the four-minute Mile June 08, 2015 46 days after Sir Roger Bannister broke the four-minute Mile, his world record fell to John Landy. Here the athlete reflects on the day he won back his title By Roger Bannister , The Telegraph This photograph captures the moment I overtook the Australian runner John Landy on the final bend at... Laced with sporting history: The last tangible link to Bannister’s sub-4 Mile May 23, 2015 Christie’s to auction the shoes worn by Sir Roger Bannister when he became the first man to run a sub-4 minute Mile, described as the ‘greatest athletic achievement of the 20th century’ From Christie's The Art People The running shoes worn by Sir Roger Bannister CBE when he became the first...

Roger Bannister’s shoes from 4 minute Mile set for auction May 20, 2015 Bannister said part of the proceeds from the shoes auction will go to a charity that encourages neurological research, according to the auction company. By Nick Zacardi, NBC Olympic Talk The shoes Sir Roger Bannister wore when he ran the first sub-4 minute Mile will be auctioned September 10... Sir Roger record watch sold for £20,000 May 19, 2015 “I’m not surprised that the watch went for so much money as there has been a great interest in it. It is one of the most special watches.” From Oxford Mail The stopwatch used to record Sir Roger Bannister ’s first sub-4 minute Mile record in Oxford sold for £20,000 ($31,000) yesterday. The... Sir Roger reminisces about breaking Mile record May 09, 2015 “We would always have a reunion with our wives and meet up on the anniversary. That’s what it used to be.

Unfortunately I’m alone now.” By Oxford Mail Sir Roger Bannister celebrated the 61st anniversary of the day he broke the 4 minute Mile barrier in Oxford. He made sporting history on... Sir Roger Bannister’s new “record” from Guinness December 12, 2014 “To be a record breaker I think you have to have determination and you have to be prepared for upsets and reverses which I certainly had in my career. The other factor is luck." From Oxford Mail Sub-4 minute Mile hero Sir Roger Bannister has been honored by Guinness World Records to mark 60... One of the greatest feats ever achieved by a British athlete almost never took place... By Dominic Midgley, Daily Express It was the behavior of a Cross of St. George flag flying on the steeple of St. John's Church near the Iffley Road track in Oxford on Thursday, May 6, 1954 that persuaded... Bannister vs. Landy 1954 showdown, Coe’s 1984 gold medal defense still resonate August 10, 2014 "Yes, Landy has a lead of three yards.

It's 220 yards to go and I don't believe Bannister is going to be able to catch him..." By Mike Rowbottom, InsideTheGames.biz Significant anniversaries of two great foot races fall either side of this weekend - races won by two Britons who, through their... How the sports landscape looked when SI printed first issue in 1954 August 09, 2014 But in 1954 all sports stories were overshadowed by what happened on a track in England on May 6. By Richard Rothschild, Sports Illustrated Imagine a sports landscape ruled by baseball, where college football is more popular than the National Football League, horse racing and boxing draw... HOKA ONE ONE presents the Mile Moment of the Month By Bring Back the Mile Sixty years ago, on August 7, at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada, the world’s two best Milers, England’s Roger Bannister , the first man to run a sub-4 minute Mile, and Australia’s...

‘Race of the century’ between Landy & Bannister still a miracle 60 years later July 27, 2014 “I was going to run from the front, I was going to break the 4 minute Mile, and I was going to break my world record." - John Landy By Kym Morgan, The Advertiser The 1954 British Empire Games Mile race between Australia’s John Landy and England’s Roger Bannister in Vancouver, Canada, was so... My favorite photograph: Runner and neurosurgeon Sir Roger Bannister July 15, 2014 Sir Roger Bannister , 85, amazed the world when he broke the four-minute Mile. But could he stand the pace at his son’s sports day? By Roz Lewis, The Daily and Sunday Express "This is a picture of me running in the fathers’ race at my sons’ school sports day in 1965. I hadn’t known about this... To go fast, you must plan ahead By Michael Overall, Tulsa World With the starter pistol still echoing through the Oxford stadium, Cambridge runner Chris Brasher jumped to an early lead, but he had no intention of winning the race.

A 25-year-old medical student, Roger Bannister , followed... Beating John Landy stands above record: Roger Bannister May 06, 2014 “Vancouver was the pinnacle of my athletics career. It is very difficult to break records during Olympic competition, but winning races was better than holding world records.” By AFP for The Australian Sixty years since becoming the first man to run a Mile in under four minutes, Roger... The Four-Minute Man, Forever May 06, 2014 Franz Stampfl, his coach, implored him to run in a meet between Oxford and the Amateur Athletic Association: “He said to me, ‘Although the conditions are not ideal, if you don’t take this opportunity, you might not forgive yourself for the rest of your life.’ He was right.” By Jesse Will, The... Roger Bannister showed us how to combine sport and everyday living May 05, 2014 What's astonishing about Bannister's 4 minute Mile in 1954 is that he was an amateur.

He even worked on the day of the race By John Bryant, The Guardian Things were very different 60 years ago when Roger Bannister became an icon to Britain and the empire by becoming the first to break the 4... Bannister Marks 60th Anniversary of 4 Minute Mile May 04, 2014 "Bannister's 3:59.4 remains part of track and field lore, a symbol of boundary-busting endurance that stands the test of time." By Stephen Wilson, Associated Press OXFORD, England (AP) — Sixty years later, Roger Bannister is busy reliving the four minutes that still endure as a transcendent... Roger Bannister made an indelible mark on the sport and the world on May 6, 1954 By Pat Murphy, TroyMedia.com TORONTO, Canada – If you were around in 1954, you couldn’t escape the 4 minute Mile. The newspapers were full of it, and the coverage wasn’t confined to the sports pages. Running a...

How running has changed since the 4-minute Mile April 25, 2014 When I was a child in the late 1950s, my parents taught me about Bannister's Mile just as they taught me about the first climbing of Mount Everest. By Mary Beard, BBC.com As we approach the 60th anniversary of the 4-minute Mile, historian Mary Beard reflects on what has changed in the sport... “He is a legend. He shattered the record and inspired generations of all nations.” By Oxford Mail Sports fans waited up to four hours to meet their hero. Sir Roger Bannister , the man who ran the first ever Mile under 4 minutes at Iffley Road sports track in 1954, signed copies of his... The 4 minute Mile, exact to the nearest inch April 06, 2014 Our task was to measure the track’s inside lane, six inches in from the edge, to check that Sir Roger had run one Mile, no more and no less. John Barrell letter to The Telegraph SIR – I read Sir Roger Bannister ’s article on his epic race with great interest as it brought back memories for me....

Roger Bannister: ‘The day I broke the 4 minute Mile’ March 30, 2014 In an extract from his new book, "Twin Tracks", Bannister recounts how he prepared for his unforgettable, legendary race Sixty years ago, on May 6, 1954, at Iffley Road track in Oxford, Roger Bannister became the first man in recorded history to run a Mile in under 4 minutes. Bannister, who had... A BBC serial about the athlete and scholar's incredible, historic 1954 record run By Ben Dowell, RadioTimes.com Scriptwriter Andrew Davies is working on a BBC drama about Roger Bannister ’s 4 minute Mile record run, RadioTimes.com can reveal. The writer says that the drama is likely to be in...

Sub-4 Fever March 05, 2014 AW’s editor looks ahead excitedly to the 60th anniversary of Roger Bannister’s first sub-4 minute Mile: the Everest of athletics By Jason Henderson, Athletics Weekly When Roger Bannister ran 3:59.4 in Oxford on May 6, 1954, to become the first man to break the 4-minute barrier for one Mile,... Retirement investing: your sub-4 minute Mile January 09, 2014 For serious retirement investors, the far better sports metaphor lies in the story of Roger Bannister, the first man sub-4 minutes in the Mile By Mitchell Tuchman, MarketWatch Read enough about investing and eventually you run into this entertaining hockey metaphor: "Skate to where the puck... Shaun White's versatility, Bo Jackson's phenomenal speed, Geronimo's nimbleness, Bannister's Mile moment and more From The Atlantic Gay Talese, writer Boxing is the most physically demanding of athletic disciplines. No other athletes are so confronted with the physical demands, the heart,...

Get Off the Sofa: Time is Running Out to Locate the Roger Bannister Lurking Inside Every One of Us May 08, 2013 On a cinder track, 59 years ago on Monday, Roger Bannister became the first person to run the sub-four-minute Mile. By Tanya Aldred, The Telegraph It was a squally day, not good for records, and Roger Bannister nearly did not run at the Iffley Road track. But he knew his rivals were closing... May 06, 2013 By Daily Press On May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister became the first person to run a Mile in under four minutes. For several years, men had been getting closer and closer to that barrier. It is not true, as some claim today, that experts in the 1950s believed it was impossible - but the idea of...

The Thriller That Invites You to Run a Mile in Roger Bannister’s Shoes May 01, 2013 Paul Collicut's graphic novel The Murder Mile was inspired by the split second in 1954 when John Landy looked over his left shoulder and Roger Bannister passed him on the right By Sam Humphrey, The Guardian Ever since our ancestors began painting on the walls of caves, running has been a... September 24, 2012 By Ian Pinnell, Radio Cherwell On Friday 21st September 2012, Emily's Big Walk took place at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. I was sent to cover the walk, as part of my role as Programme Controller with hospital radio station - Radio Cherwell. I interviewed various people, from... Gold Medalist Farah Backs Restoration of Track Roger Bannister Trained on to Break Four-Minute Mile September 14, 2012 Double Olympic gold medalist Mo Farah has given his backing to the restoration of a historic running track.

By Rob Whitson, West End Extra WESTMINSTER, England - Paddington Recreation Ground, where legendary runner Sir Roger Bannister trained to break the 4-minute Mile, is undergoing a... August 06, 2012 By John Baldoni, Forbes Of the many wonderful outcomes of the London 2012 Olympics is the attention that Roger Bannister , the first man to run the sub-four minute Mile, now in his eighties is receiving. When I was growing up, Bannister was a hero of mine. I ran track in high school and the... Bannister praises ‘enormous advances’ in anti-doping August 01, 2012 It was described as the "Everest of athletics". Almost 60 years after Sir Roger Bannister broke the 4-minute Mile he talks to Channel 4 News about sporting barriers, the Olympics and doping.

By Channel 4 News William Hill stop taking bets on 83-year-old's appointment Bannister became first man to ran sub-four-minute mile By Sam Jones, The Guardian William Hill has stopped taking bets on Sir Roger Bannister lighting the Olympic cauldron after receiving a flurry of big bets backing the man who ran... Sir Roger Bannister missed out in Helsinki July 18, 2012 Bikash Mohapatra digs out some of the biggest names in sport who failed to leave a mark on the Olympics. By rediff.com The Olympics is a great leveler. While on the one hand we witness athletes rising from relative anonymity to create history, on the other there are eminent athletes who... June 12, 2012 As he prepares to carry the Olympic Torch, an enchanting interview with 4-minute Mile legend Roger Bannister By Jane Fryer, Daily Mail OXFORD - Sir Roger Bannister is sitting straight-backed and immaculate in his favourite 'very hard' chair. He’s chatting about Olympic gold medals, the...

Roger Bannister to carry the Olympic torch at the Oxford track where he made history June 04, 2012 Sir Roger Bannister will carry the Olympic torch on the track where he became the first man to run the Mile in less than four minutes By Tim Walker, The Telegraph OXFORD - Although Sir Roger Bannister would have been a popular choice to light the Olympic flame at the opening ceremony, the... London 2012 - Should Bannister light Olympic flame? June 01, 2012 Five-times Olympic gold medallist Steve Redgrave remains the bookies' hot favourite to light the Olympic flame in the stadium at the London 2012 opening ceremony, but Sir Roger Bannister is closing on him. By Eurosport By Stephen Wilson, Irish Examiner OXFORD - Roger Bannister remembers those fabled four minutes as if they were yesterday. Like a proud patriarch regaling wide-eyed children, the 83-year-old avidly recounts that magical four-lap race on a cinder track in Oxford on May 6, 1954 — an event that...

Sir Chris Chataway Interview and the Magic Mile May 07, 2012 The UK's MarathonTalk podcast featured a two-part interview earlier this year with Sir Chris Chataway who paced Sir Roger Bannister to the first sub-4 minute Mile in 1954. Chataway went on to have a decorated career himself breaking the World 5000m record, winning Commonwealth gold over three... February 14, 2012 Dear Mile: You were our First Love from the time we set eyes on you; it's been a wonderful 100-plus years together. From the time Edward Merritt (USA) ran 4:43.8 in 1877 to Great Britian's Sir Roger Bannister 's ground breaking first sub-4 minute Mile in 1954, we've been through it all. The...

The Time a Land Forgot May 01, 2004 Was Roger Bannister the first man to run a Mile in under 4 minutes or was he just the first amateur?, asks one of Britain's top sports historians By Peter Radford, The Observer There were no celebrations on May 9, 1970 to mark the 200th anniversary of the first 4 minute Mile, and no tours... 4 Minutes and 20 Years July 15, 1974 In 1954, gasping with effort on Oxford's Iffley Road track, Roger Bannister ran the first four-minute Mile. Now a prominent neurologist and chairman of the British Sports Council, his celebrity is undimmed, although critics say his idealist's view of athletics is anachronistic By Kenny Moore,... The Joy of Running June 20, 1955 The warm and personal story of a runner's boyhood, his first experiences in running, his youthful ambitions and frustrations, and how he developed the power he felt within him to become the greatest Miler of all-time By Roger Bannister , Sports Illustrated I remember a moment when I stood...

1954 & Its Sportsman: Roger Bannister January 03, 1955 The year brought shining performances in a host of sports, but the electrifying running of history's first 4-minute Miler—a man of no fanfare—made him year's pre-eminent man of sport By Gerald Holland, Sports Illustrated If ever a good speech ruined a dinner it was that delivered by Dr. Roger... Duel of the Four-Minute Men August 16, 1954 Bannister surges to victory in the heart-stirring Commonwealth Games Mile; first time two men sub-4 minutes in the same Mile race By Paul O'Neil, Sports Illustrated VANCOUVER, B.C. - The art of running the Mile consists, in essence, of reaching the threshold of unconsciousness at the instant... Roger Bannister: Breaking Limiting Beliefs Roger Bannister: Breaking Limiting Beliefs Please Sign In or Register to like this blog. Here is a portion of a story I share in my book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE . Roger Bannister is an inspiration to so many because he broke though so many limiting beliefs.

The Mental Fitness Challenge can help you do the same. Enjoy. Orrin Woodward It was May 6, 1954, on a chilly spring evening, that Bannister’s date with destiny arrived. He traveled to the Iffley Road track in Oxford, where the Oxford University track team competed against his British Amateur Athletic Association (BAAA) team, in their annual track meet. Over the years, the idea of a “dream mile” had been scientifically plotted by sports physiologists and coaches, believing that it would take ideal conditions, with temperatures around 68 degrees, having no discernible wind, and a track made of hard dry clay, in order to accomplish the “dream mile.” Furthermore, along with the perfect weather and track conditions, a planned sequence of quarters needed to be run, the first quarter clocked the slowest, with each subsequent quarter becoming faster, closing with the fastest time being the final quarter. Nearly everyone believed, that without perfect conditions and planning, the “dream mile” would remain just that, a dream. But the conditions in Oxford, on this chilly May day, were far from ideal, forcing Bannister to break nearly every one of the “dream mile” theories in his quest.

Rain had drenched the cinder track, making the surface slippery. Meanwhile, the wind had been blowing at practically gale like force for most of the day, reducing the crowd to a mere 1,500 spectators, attending to witness the historic event. Thankfully, with the late 6 p.m. start time, the rain had died down, but sadly, not the biting cross wind, cutting through the athletic track. In spite of these conditions, Bannister knew that he must make this race count. Knowing that Santee or Landy could break the record, in any upcoming race, Bannister reach deep inside himself, revealing the spirit of a champion in his, soon to be legendary, performance. At 6 p.m., the runners were at the starting line, Bannister, with two of his teammates from the BAAA, lined up with three Oxford runners. In a methodical plan, developed before the race, Chris Brasher, a teammate of Bannister’s, played the jackrabbit, the pacesetter for Bannister. Brasher’s first lap set a blistering pace, with Bannister, running right behind him, timed in 57.5 seconds.

This was too too fast, an impossible time to maintain for even two laps, let alone four, making many feel the record would not be broken, at least not on this day. Regaining his composure and the pace, Brasher completed his two laps, collapsing to the side of the track exhausted. Bannister’s half mile time was 1:58.2, which, although fast, was within the range set beforehand, leaving a possibility that Bannister could pull it off. At the start of the third lap, Chris Chataway, the third BAAA runner, in accordance with the plan, sprinted to the front, allowing Bannister to draft behind him. Chataway, ran a stellar third lap, giving it all he had, until, depleted of energy, he fell off the pace, but Bannister, thanks to the pace set by his friend, completed the third lap in 3:00.7, well within shooting distance of the prize. But, the million dollar question was, how much gas did he have left after the grueling first three laps.

Bannister didn’t take long to answer that question, when, with three hundred yards to go, he began his final kick, tapping into a reservoir of energy, known only to himself, he lengthened his stride, rolled his head back awkwardly, and gave it everything he had, literally collapsing as he broke the tape, passing out momentarily from the extended physical and mental exertion. Pensively, the crowd awaited for an official announcement, which finally came over the loudspeaker: “A time which is a new meeting and track record, and which, subject to ratification, will be a new English native, a British national, a British all-comers, European, British Empire, and world record. The time was three minutes. . .fifty-nine and four-tenth seconds.” The crowd erupted in applause, pandemonium ensued as people realized the momentous event they had just witnessed. Bannister had run the fourth lap in an unbelievable 58.7 seconds, smashing through the four minute mile barrier with a final time of 3:59.4 seconds! After his superhuman effort, Bannister regained consciousness quickly, but suffered momentary color-blindness from his other world exertions.

His standard heart rate of 50 BPM had soared to over 155 BPM, not returning to normal for over three hours. Bannister completed his 1954 dream season in style, winning the British and Empire championships in the mile run, along with the European title in the 1500 meter event. After his record breaking season, Bannister announced his retirement from athletic competition, pursuing his medical career full time. In 1955, he wrote a book on his track and field exploits, called, The Four Minute Mile. He earned his medical degree from Oxford, becoming a neurologist and in 1975, he received the honor of being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II, a fitting close to an extraordinary career. Bannister, when he raised the bar on what is possible, received more than his fair share of criticism, carping, and nay sayers, but he didn’t hear them, choosing not to listen. Instead, he focused his attitude on what he believed possible, not on what others said was impossible.

In the author’s opinion, the most incredible part of this story, isn’t Bannister’s four minute mile, but what happened to the other runners when Bannister ran his four minute mile. Remember, the mile record had stood at slightly over four minutes for nearly nine years, but the year after Bannister broke the four minute mile, other runners broke through their mental barrier, leading to 37 runners breaking the four minute mile. What would account for the fact that, in nearly 3,000 years, no runners broke the four minute mile, but less than two years later, 37 runners did it? It certainly cannot be physical conditioning, improved tracks, or improved shoes, what improved was the beliefs and subsequent attitudes. The following year, things really get crazy, as over 300 runners broke the four minute mile, nothing but a changed belief window, leading to a can do spirit can account for such a radical change in results in so little time. What was once thought impossible, now has become routine, simply because, a man with better beliefs and positive attitudes, proved that it could be done.

Bannister, in an interview with Guardian News, fifty years after his historic accomplishment said, “Until then, there had been a widespread belief that it was physically impossible for a man to run the mile in less than four minutes. People claimed the human body would burst amid such a trial of speed and endurance. Bannister, slipping into his best Inspector Clouseau-style accent, remembers that, “a Frenchman once said to my wife, ‘but ‘ow did ‘ee know ‘ees heart would not burst?’ Even Landy spoke of a ‘cement wall’ protecting the four-minute mark. But I knew it could be done.” Bannisters knew it could be done, this made all the difference, because the real barrier to break in the four minute mile, wasn’t physical, but mental. Roger Bannister facts, information, pictures | Encyclopedia.com articles about Roger Bannister COPYRIGHT 2004 The Gale Group Inc. Roger Bannister Roger Bannister (born 1929) was the first person ever to run a mile in under four minutes.

"I just ran anywhere and everywhere-never because it was an end in itself, but because it was easier for me to run than to walk," Roger Bannister said of his childhood, according to Cordner Nelson and Roberto Quercetani in The Milers. When he was 12, 13, and 14, he won his school's cross-country run three years in a row. At the age of 16, he decided to become a runner. However, when his studies in medicine began at Oxford University in the fall of 1946, he had never run on a track or worn spiked running shoes. Bannister's only training that first winter at the university was a weekly workout and a seven-and-a-half-mile cross-country race. However, he was so immensely talented that even on this meager schedule, he ran a mile in 4:30.8 in March of 1947; by June of that year he had decreased his time to 4:24.6. In 1948, Bannister was selected as a "possible" runner for the Olympic team, but he felt that he was not yet ready to compete at the Olympic level.

"Restless and Anxious to Compete" In June of 1948 Bannister ran in his first major race, the Kinniard Cup. He came in fourth with a time of 4:18.7. In the Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) race he came in fifth with 4:17.2. That year, the Olympics were being held in London, and he watched them with great interest. When Bannister saw the athletes compete, he felt inspired to become a great runner like them. According to Cordner and Quercetani, he decided "New targets had to be set and more vigorous training programs prepared. I was restless and anxious to compete. There were four years to wait before my chance would come at Helsinki [Olympics] in 1952." In June of 1949, Bannister ran the 880 in 1:52.7, and traveled to the United States to compete in the mile, which he won with times of 4:11.1 and 4:11.9. He took six weeks off from training, but came in third with a time of 4:14.2.

Bannister began using a new training method called Fartlek, in which runners alternate bursts of speed with steady running, and rapidly improved. On July 1 of 1950, he ran a mile in 4:13, but in the last lap his time was 57.5. This was the first sign of his impressive "kick"-a burst of speed in the last quarter of a race. At the Penn Relays in April of 1951, he began slowly, trailing the other runners, but took the lead after two and a half laps, running the last lap in an amazing 56.7, with a total time of 4:08.3. He later said, according to Cordner and Quercetani, "I knew from my fast finish that I was now capable of a time near 4 minutes five seconds." Bannister's philosophy of training was to train lightly and stay fresh. For the rest of that spring he felt over-trained and somewhat burned-out. Nevertheless, in July, he ran 4:07.8, a record for the AAA championships.

After this, feeling utterly exhausted, he took training for five weeks, then raced again, but was beaten by a Yugoslavian runner. 1952 Olympic Games Bannister ran in the 1500 meters at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Finland. He shared a room with his friends from Oxford: Chris Chataway, Nick Stacey, and Alan Dick. He wrote in The Four Minute Mile that the room they shared must have been the messiest one in the whole Olympic Village, and that he and his friends spent most of their time simply lying on their unmade beds, reading, and talking. "It was not that we lacked the energy to make our beds or tidy the room," he wrote. "We simply existed in a state of complete suspension, in which nothing seemed important until our races were over. We were thinking all the time about the precious fractions of seconds that would make us champions or failures." In the semifinals of the 1500 meters, Bannister came in fifth, and was disappointed with his performance. He wrote, "The following night was one of the most unpleasant I have ever spent. My legs ached and I was unable to sleep.

I felt I hated running." The next day, before the final, Bannister was pale and weak with anxiety. From the start, he ran "sensibly," and was in second place before the final curve. "This was the crucial moment," he wrote, "for which I had waited so long. But my legs were aching, and I had no strength left to force them faster." Sickened, he watched as others passed him, and came in fourth. Later, however, he was proud of his result and glad that he had learned that "the important thing was not the winning but the taking part-not the conquering but the fighting well." Attempted to Break Four-Minute Barrier Bannister spent two months after the Olympics deciding whether he wanted to keep running. He eventually decided to continue, but with a new goal: to run the mile in under four minutes. This feat had never been accomplished by any runner. He trained for half an hour a day, running intense speed workouts. Bannister realized that in order to meet his goal, he would have to make sure that he was keeping up a hard pace throughout the race.

He arranged for another runner, Chris Chataway, to keep track of his timing and be his pacer. At a meet at Oxford, paced by Chataway, he ran the mile in 4:03.6, which made him certain that he could break the four-minute barrier. After a brief period of rest following an injury, he began running again. On June 27, 1953, paced by his friends Chris Brasher and Don Macmillan, he ran 4:02. Despite the fact that this time was faster than any British miler's, the authorities would not allow it into the record books because the use of pacers was frowned on: runners were expected to win without such aid. According to Nelson and Quercetani, Bannister later said, "My feeling as I look back is one of great relief that I did not run a four-minute mile under such artificial circumstances." Throughout 1953, however, he remained undefeated. The Moment of a Lifetime In 1954, Bannister decided to make another attempt to break the four-minute barrier.

He trained more intensely, and reached a plateau at which, no matter how much he trained, he couldn't improve his time. Frustrated, he took time off and went mountain climbing with Chris Brasher for three days. When he came back, he beat his time by two seconds. Bannister planned to make the sub-four-minute attempt on the Iffey Road track at Oxford during an AAA event on May 6. He rested for five days before the event. "I had reached my peak physically and psychologically," he later said, according to Nelson and Quercetani. "There would never be another day like it." On May 6, he spent the morning at St. Mary's Hospital, where he worked as part of his medical studies, then took the train to Oxford. He was concerned about the weather: a strong wind had come up, and it could affect his time. At 5:15 in the evening, it began to rain lightly. By race time, the wind was about 15 miles per hour and Bannister decided to run. After 220 yards, he felt as if the race was effortless, as if he were flying.

When the bell rang, marking the last lap, Bannister's time was 3.07. The crowd was roaring and he knew he would have to run the last lap in 59 seconds. Chataway led, then Bannister sped past him at the beginning of the final straightaway, with only 300 yards to go. In his book First Four Minutes, quoted by David Levinson and Karen Christensen, he later wrote, "I felt that the moment of a lifetime had come. There was no pain, only a great utility of movement and aim. The world seemed to stand still or did not exist, the only reality was the next two hundred yards of track under my feet." Although he was exhausted, Bannister kept running, forced on by an immense effort of will and aided by his years of training. When he was only five yards from completing the race, the tape marking the end of the race seemed to be moving farther away from him. He wrote, "My effort was all over and I collapsed almost unconscious.

The stop-watches held the answer, the announcement came-'Result of the one mile time, 3 minutes'-the rest was lost in the roar of excitement." His time was 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds. Later Bannister wrote, according to Nelson and Quercetani, "I felt suddenly and gloriously free of the burden of athletic ambition that I had been carrying for years. No words could be invented for such supreme happiness, eclipsing all other feelings. I thought at that moment I could never again reach such a climax of single-mindedness." "The Mile of the Century" Track fans still talk about the "Bannister-Landy 1-Mile Duel," which was the number one choice for "Six Most Dramatic Events in Sports History," in the Book of Lists, according to David Levinson and Karen Christensen. The event was known as "The Mile of the Century" at the time, and took place at the Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, Canada in 1954, where fans anxiously awaited the contest between the two best milers in the world. Bannister was the first person to break the four-minute mile.

John Landy of Australia, was the only other runner to have completed a mile in under four minutes; he held the world record. Landy was in front from the start. Bannister was in third, then moved up to second. He had planned to run easily through the third lap, but became nervous when Landy stayed in front, so he began speeding up at the halfway point. Nelson and Quercetani wrote, "With great poise, he spread his effort evenly over the entire third lap. In the middle of the backstretch he had cut Landy's frightening lead in half. As they reached the bell he had closed the gap." When the bell rang to mark the last lap, Landy was in the lead, with Bannister right behind him. When Landy turned to see where his opponent was, Bannister passed him. He poured on his powerful "kick," and won the race in 3:58.8, against Landy's 3:59.6.

The moment when Bannister passed Landy is commemorated by a statue of both men outside the Empire Stadium in Vancouver, marking the "Miracle Mile Games." Bannister later wrote in Four Minute Mile, "[Running] gives a man or woman the chance to bring out power that might otherwise remain locked away inside. The urge to struggle lies latent in everyone. The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable." Books Roger Bannister remembers his mile milestone – USATODAY.com Enlarge Close AP Britain's Roger Bannister, a 25-year-old medical student, hits the tape to break the four-minute mile in Oxford, England on May 6, 1954. Running for the Amateur Athletic Association against Oxford University, he became the fastest man in the world, finishing in 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds, and the first to break the barrier humans thought was impossible.

Sponsored Links Like a proud patriarch regaling his wide-eyed grandchildren, the 82-year-old Bannister avidly recounts that magical four-lap race on a cinder track in Oxford in 1954 that still stands as a transcendent moment in sports. Three minutes, 59.4 seconds. With London hosting the Olympics this summer, what better a symbol for Britain and sporting achievement than the first man to run the mile in under 4 minutes — that mythical barrier that some thought was beyond human reach. "It's amazing," says Bannister, as sharp and expressive as ever, "that more people have climbed Mount Everest than have broken the 4-minute mile." Living legend is an overused term, but there may be no more apt a description for the Oxford-educated neurologist knighted Sir Roger in 1975. The enduring black-and-white images of Bannister, eyes closed, mouth agape, straining across the finish line at the Iffley Road track on May 6, 1954, symbolize the supreme test of speed and endurance that captured the public's imagination and made him a global celebrity.

While Bannister never won an Olympic medal, having finished a disappointing fourth in the 1,500 meters at the 1952 Helsinki Games, he represents a strong link with the Olympics and the Olympic ideals. He represents a simpler, amateur era, a throwback to a time associated with fair play, untainted by commercial interests and the scourge of doping. Now, late in life, after a distinguished 40-year medical career, could Bannister finally get his Olympic shining moment? A perfect candidate, perhaps, to light the flame for the London Games? "I think it should be somebody representing youth," he says, coyly deflecting questions on whether he might take part in the lighting at the July 27 opening ceremony. "Can't answer." The epitome of the English gentleman, Bannister welcomes a visitor to his modest Oxford flat — minutes away from the track where he made history — with a warm smile, firm handshake and a cheery, "I see that you are punctual." His wife Moyra, a keen artist, proudly points out her framed paintings on the wall and photographs of her husband meeting a young Queen Elizabeth II , Winston Churchill and other dignitaries.

Pictures of their four children and 14 grandchildren also line the hallway and the bright reception room. Bannister's 6-foot-2 (1.87-meter) frame is still sturdy, his silver-white hair neatly combed, his blue eyes shining, voice strong and resonant, his words colorful and precise. Wearing a blue blazer, gray trousers and pink shirt and tie, he looks the part of the master of Oxford's Pembroke College that he once was. Bannister jots down a few notes on a yellow legal pad before he settles into a swivel chair and talks animatedly for more than hour about his life and career in an interview with The Associated Press. Occasionally, his wife, seated at the back of the room, reminds him to talk about his work as a neurologist. "He's so darned modest," she says. In 1945, with Britain recovering after World War II , Bannister's father took his teenage son to a track meet at London's White City Stadium, which was built to host the 1908 Olympics.

They were there to watch British middle-distance star Sydney Wooderson, who had emerged as a rival to the trio of Swedish runners who had taken the mile world record down close to the 4-minute mark. "He came up to Arne Andersson's shoulder and it was inspiring to see him challenge this tall Swede," Bannister said. "The Swede managed to shake him off and win. "So I made up my mind then when I got to university, got to Oxford, I would take up running seriously." With the 1948 London Games approaching, Bannister established himself as a promising young talent, running mile times of around 4:10. The 19-year-old was selected as a "possible" for the British Olympic team, but decided it was too soon. "I thought I wasn't really ready," Bannister said. "At that stage, it was thought that if you indulged in too much racing when you were too young, that you could burn yourself out. … I decided I would wait for the '52 Olympics." Bannister did play a role off the track at the London Olympics . He was an assistant to the administrator for the British team.

When the national flags were distributed for the teams marching in the opening ceremony at Wembley Stadium , the Union Jack was missing. Bannister was dispatched to find one. He rushed back to their car in the parking lot, smashed the window and grabbed a small flag from the back seat. "I actually carried and managed to get it to the British team just before they were going into the stadium," he said. "So I do think I made a minor contribution to the '48 Olympics." Criticized by the British press for not competing in London, Bannister put all his efforts into preparing for Helsinki. By now, he was a full-time medical student at Oxford and had to juggle his studies with his training, which was light by today's standards. Bannister was considered the favorite for the gold in the 1,500 meters — the shorter metric mile distance run in the Olympics. Then, just before the games, he learned that organizers had added an extra round of heats, meaning he would have to run on three consecutive days. "I'm afraid that was such a shock to me," he said.

"I really didn't manage to give it my best, although I was in the fourth position in the last lap of the final, which was the position from which I would usually expect to unleash a finishing burst. I'm afraid there was nothing there." Josy Barthel of Luxembourg won the race in 3:45.2, as the top four finishers all broke the Olympic record. Fourth place for Bannister came as "a massive disappointment." Here, fate came into play. Had Bannister won the Olympic gold that day, he probably would have retired and the first sub-4-minute mile would have been achieved by someone else. Instead, he vowed to make up for the failure, compete for another two years and attack the mile landmark. "I decided I could just manage to fit running in with my medical studies until 1954," he said. The quest to break the 4-minute standard carried a special mystique. The numbers were easy to grasp: 1 mile, 4 laps, 4 minutes. Many thought the human body was incapable of running that fast, but when Finland's Paavo Nurmi clocked 4:10.4 in 1923, the pursuit was on.

Sweden's Gunder Hagg lowered the mark to 4:01.4 in 1945, and it stood that way for nine years until Bannister came along. "There was no logic in my mind that if you can run a mile in 4 minutes, 1 and 2/5ths, you can't run it in 3:59," he said. "I knew enough medicine and physiology to know it wasn't a physical barrier, but I think it had become a psychological barrier. "I thought it would be right for Britain to try to get this. There 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." Bannister wasn't alone. Australia's John Landy and American Wes Santee ran times of 4:02, and it was a question of who would get there first. Bannister scheduled his attempt for May 6 during a meet between Oxford University and the Amateur Athletic Union .

He started the day at his hospital lab in London, where he sharpened his spikes and rubbed graphite on them so they wouldn't pick up too much of the track's cinder ash. He took a midmorning train from Paddington Station to Oxford. The weather was miserable — rainy, cool and windy. Bannister was uncertain whether to go for the attempt in such conditions; his Austrian coach, Franz Stampfl, told him this might be his best chance. When the red-and-white English flag flying from a neighboring church fluttered more gently as the 6 p.m. race approached, Bannister made up his mind. "I decided it was time to make the attempt even if I failed," he said. Bannister had lined up English runners Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway as pacemakers. He tucked in behind Brasher, a steeplechaser, who ran the first lap in 58 seconds and the first half-mile in 1:58. Chataway moved to the front and took them through three laps in 3:01. Bannister would have to run the final lap in 59 seconds.

His long arms and legs pumping, his lungs gasping for oxygen, he surged in front of Chataway with about 300 yards to go. "I then went flat out for the finishing line, and just about managed to stagger over it," he said. "I couldn't stand at the end." The chief timekeeper was Harold Abrahams, the 100-meter champion at the 1924 Paris Olympics whose story inspired the film "Chariots of Fire." He handed a piece of paper to Norris McWhirter, who announced the time: "3…" "That was when the crowd exploded and we didn't hear any more," Bannister said. "It didn't matter what the rest was." The record didn't stand for long. Six weeks later, Landy ran 3:57.9 in Turku, Finland.

(The current record stands at 3:43.13, held by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj since 1999.) Bannister settled the score with Landy in August 1954 at the Empire Games, now called the Commonwealth Games , in Vancouver in what was dubbed the "Mile of the Century" or the "Miracle Mile." When the Australian glanced over his left shoulder on the final bend to see where Bannister was, the Englishman raced past him on the right and won by about four yards in 3:58.8. Landy clocked 3:59, the first time two men ran under 4 minutes in the same race. Bannister capped his amazing year by winning the 1,500 meters at the European championships in Bern, Switzerland, in 3:43.8, his third major achievement in the span of a few months. "Each one proved something different," he said. "Each one was necessary." With that, Bannister retired from competition and pursued a full-time career in neurology.

He is currently editing the ninth edition of a textbook on nervous-system disease, and his most treasured trophy is the lifetime achievement award he received in 2005 from the American Academy of Neurology . "That represents a lot more work than the 4-minute mile," he said. Ever since his right ankle was shattered in a car accident in 1975, he has walked with a limp and been unable to run. "Over the years I've been able to walk or sometimes jog a little but nothing that would really be satisfying to me," he said. "It has been frustrating." Bannister also served as chairman of the British Sports Council, where he initiated the first tests for steroids. Turning to the state of sports today, and the doping scandals that have tarnished track and field over the years, he remains sanguine about the fight against drug cheats. "I think there will be further efforts and I have hopes," Bannister said. "The war on drugs I believe is possibly turning now, in that the sophistication of pharmacologists who are trying to invent new drugs are being countered now by the pharmacologists who are trying to win the battle against drugs." The power of the Olympic ideals still resonates for a man who embodies them.

"There is something noble about athletics sports events," he said. "They give an opportunity to the youth of the world to find out about one another. Any competitor in athletics or in other Olympic sports goes back to his country as an Olympian. I believe that is a force for good." As for his own involvement, Bannister said he will be present when the torch relay passes through Oxford, and he will attend the men's 1,500-meter final at the Olympic Stadium on Aug. 7. Might he also be there on July 27 for the lighting of the Olympic cauldron? Five-time rowing gold medalist Steve Redgrave is the British bookmaker's favorite, but wouldn't Bannister make an ideal candidate? "That's not for me to say," says the man himself. Bannister harkens back to the 1948 Games, when a little-known runner called John Mark was the final torch bearer. "He wore a white singlet, white shorts, and he was representing the youth of the world," said Bannister, who turns 83 on March 23. "He wasn't running because of his name.

I think that's very sound." Whatever happens, Bannister will always stand for the exalted values the Olympics are meant to uphold. And he knows we'll continue to be inspired by that celebrated race 58 years ago. After seeing his visitor to the door, Bannister offers a smile and parting words. "I'll see you," he says, "for the 60th anniversary." It's a deal. Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Question: What group was Roger Bannister representing when he broke the 4 minute mile at 3 minutes 59.4 seconds on 6 May 1954?
Answer: Amateur Athletic Association