Human achievements throughout time boggle the mind. In the 1950s perhaps no physical accomplishment received more recognition than Roger Bannister’s pursuit of the four-minute mile. While many people know of the British medical student’s historic triumph on May 6, 1954, in Oxford, history has forgotten that he wasn’t the only man seeking to etch his name in the annals of track history.
The first recorded sub 4 minute mile in history. NPR
Australian John Landy and an American named Wes Santee also sought to break what was perceived as an unbreakable barrier. Even though Landy broke Bannister’s mark just a few weeks later, it’s the Englishman who remains cemented in people’s minds. This is the race for the four-minute mile and for fame.
Bannister just barely snuck under the historical time barrier.
Historical Context
Today, the barrier of the four-minute mile stands long forgotten. The current record holder, Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj, covered four laps of the track in just 3:43.13. However, in the 1950s breaking that mark was akin to climbing Everest or exploring the Arctic Circle. The legions of men who failed while attempting to break the 4-minute mark helped establish it as an impossibility. It was assumed that the 4 minutes and 1.3 seconds set by Gunder Hagg of Sweden in 1945 would last forever.
Four laps, four minutes. kevincsnyder
A Different Time
It’s also worth mentioning that Bannister accomplished the feat while studying medicine at Oxford. Just two years earlier he finished fifth in the fifteen-hundred-meter race at the Helsinki Olympics. In England at the time, the concept of competing for money was still considered “low.” Obviously, athletics had not yet progressed to the point where people could solely make a living off of sports. The doctor-to-be even ran in leather spikes for goodness sake!
Despite Bannister's scientific methods, running coaches today would have some notes.
Forward Thinking Englishman
Although Bannister essentially performed the unthinkable in what amounted to the dark ages of athletics, he did use science to help him. Using his background in medicine, the Lone Wolf Miler as he was called, researched the mechanics of running and trained based on the various scientific methods he developed. Perhaps most incredibly, his training methods were considered “mild” and he often placed a higher priority on his studies rather than training.
Bannister after his historic achievement.
Race Day
On the fateful day of his historic achievement, the weather was poor. Bannister himself recalled it as a “windy and rain-sodden day,” which sounds about right for Britain. Flanked by teammates Chris Chataway and Chris Brasher who served as pacemakers, the Oxford man set off after history at precisely 6 P.M.
Brasher led for the first half mile before another runner took his mantle at the three-quarter mark. With just 350 yards to go, he broke the record for that distance at 3 minutes 43 seconds. At that point Bannister broke away, giving every ounce of energy left in his body, crossing the tape and collapsing into the arms of the crowd waiting in the infield. When the official time of 3 minutes… was announced, they erupted in pandemonium, drowning the rest of his time. Officially he clocked 3:59.40, with just .6 of a second to spare.
Bannister will forever be connected with the 4 minute mile.
Aftermath
Overnight Bannister became a national hero. That same year he went on to win the British and Empire championship in the mile along with the European title in the 1500 meter. However, all other exploits pale in comparison to the historic 3:59.40 run in terrible conditions. After his incredible year, he retired from running competitively to focus on becoming a neurologist.
In 1975, he was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II. Since then the mark has been destroyed by more accomplished runners in perfect conditions. Nevertheless, Bannister's mark remains a historic achievement.
