For decades the world’s top milers threatened to break the four minute mark, a feat yet unreached and thought impossible for man. In 1944, the world record hovered around 4:01:6, was broken by two tenths of a second, but remained above the four minute mark.
At that time, there were three men that were expected to surpass this barrier. The men were Englishmen Roger Bannister, American Wes Santee and Austrian John Landy. One of these men would indeed break through the four minute mark, etching his name and legacy firmly into sports history.
On Thursday May 6, 1954, an unfavorable, windy day at Oxford University’s Iffley road track, a 25 year old London med student shattered this “mystical barrier” clocking in a historic time of 3:59:4. Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister opened a new, uncharted chapter in running that day and clocked in a time that set the stage for the times that would come.
Sebastian Coe, a former middle distance runner and winner of four Olympic gold medals commented on the legacy of Bannister’s run. “He was running on 28 training miles a week. He did it with limited scientific knowledge, with leather shoes in which the spikes alone probably weighed more than the tissue-thin shoes today, on tracks at which speedway riders would turn up their noses,” he said. “So as far as I’m concerned, that was one of the greatest runs of all time.”
On Saturday, March 3, 2018, Bannister, who had been suffering from Parkinson’s disease, died at his home in Oxford at the age of 88. His family, wife Mogra Jacobsson, sons Clive and Thurstan and daughters Erin and Charlotte released a statement announcing his passing on Sunday. His accomplishment has not been forgotten, with British Prime Minister Theresa May responding to his passing. “Sir Roger Bannister was a great British sporting icon whose achievements were an inspiration to us all,” May tweeted. “He will be greatly missed.”
While his record only survived all of 46 days, Bannister’s achievement made a lasting impact. Landy, the second man to break the four minute mark, and Bannister went head to head several months later at the 1954 Empire Games in Vancouver, British Columbia. Both men crossed the finish line under four minutes with Bannister edging Lundy at 3:58:8. This epic encounter has come to be known as the “Mile of the Century” and the “Miracle Mile.” Bannister considered that race to be the highlight of his short career.
Bannister’s father was a runner, but that was not why he ran. In a country that values other sports above running, Bannister ran from bullies, air raid sirens from the Battle of Britain and for the love of running. At age 17, in his first year at Oxford, Bannister ran the mile in 4:53. By 1992, he was a favorite for gold at the Helsinki Olympic Games. After a second semifinal was added, however, Bannister’s rest days were thrown off and he ran short on rest in the qualifying race. His disappointing fourth place finish kept around to chase the four minute mark.
Known for his humility, his killer finishing kick and his lanky stature that caused him to tower above his fellow runners, Bannister’s running career was never the most important part of his life. To Bannister, it was a distant memory. “It became a symbol of attempting a challenge in the physical world of something hitherto thought impossible,” he said. “I’d like to see it as a metaphor not only for sport, but for life and seeking challenges.”
After retiring in December of the year he broke four minutes, Bannister embarked on a successful career as a neurologist. Throughout his 88 years, Bannister acquired an impressive collection of achievements. He was Sports Illustrated’s first Sportsman of the Year, the director of London’s National Hospital of Nervous Diseases, the chairman of the British Sports Council, the president of the International Council of Sport Science and Physical Recreation, the head of Pembroke College, Oxford and was knighted in 1975.
Bannister led a full life and his legacy will continue to inspire runners to push the boundaries of what is seen as physically impossible. While his record has been broken time and time again, currently held by Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj at 3:43:13, that cold, wet, windy day in 1954 is still an unforgettable run.
