![]() In the work, Landy is looking over his shoulder at Bannister. Vancouver sculptor Jack Harman erected a statue of the runners during the race, which still stands outside the exhibition. Both men finished what came to be known as the Miracle Mile in under 4 minutes, the first time that had ever happened. At that moment Bannister surpassed Landy on the right, winning the race. At the final turn, however, Landy turned and looked over his left shoulder to find out where Bannister was. Michael McGowan at The Guardian reports that the back-t0-back record-breaking performances set the stage for one of running’s most incredible showdowns when in August of 1954, Bannister and Landy faced off at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games at the Vancouver Exhibition (renamed the Pacific National Exhibition in 1946).ĭuring the race, Landy led with Bannister at his heels. Bannister barely beat Landry, finishing at 3:58.8, less than a second ahead of Landy at 3:59.6.īreaking the Record Wasn’t His Most Famous RunĪs it so happens, Bannister’s record only last 46 days before Australian runner John Landy shaved 1.5 seconds off of his time at a meet in Turku, Finland. 1931) at the 1954 Commonwealth Games, Vancouver, Canada. Track singlet worn by Englishman Roger Bannister (b. Thanks to insights he gleaned from medical school, he created a specially tailored training regimen to prepare himself for his barrier-breaking run on May 6, 1954. Afterward, he resolved to break the 4-minute mile, which several other runners were chasing. That performance was roundly criticized by the British press. In 1952, he competed at the Helsinki Olympics, coming in fourth in the 1500 meters. reports that he skipped running the 1500 meters at the 1948 London Olympics so he could concentrate on his studies. ![]() Though Bannister quickly became one of the U.K.’s most promising track stars, he remained a true student-athlete. While pacemakers generally drop out before the end of the race, Bannister continued on, reportedly beating the field by 20 yards, AP sportswriter Chris Lehourites recounts. There, Bannister caught the eye of coaches while serving as a pacemaker for a mile race in 1947. The tall, lanky blonde also happened to be booksmart, and used his intellect to land an athletic scholarship to Oxford University. He Sought the Record Due to Olympic Failureįrank Litsky and Bruce Weber at The New York Times report that Bannister began running to avoid bullies and the air raid sirens during the WWII blitz of London. ![]() Here are five things you should know about the iconic athlete and his stunning mid-century run. “I'd like to see it as a metaphor not only for sport, but for life and seeking challenges.” ![]() “It became a symbol of attempting a challenge in the physical world of something hitherto thought impossible,” Bannister said as the 50th anniversary of the run approached, according to the AP. The image of the exhausted Bannister with his eyes closed and mouth agape appeared on the front page of newspapers around the world, a testament to what humankind could achieve. More than 60 years ago, back on a cinder track at Oxford University's Iffley Road Stadium in 1954, Bannister completed four laps in 3:59.4, a record-breaking performance that many believed was not humanly possible. Roger Bannister, the first person to break the 4-minute mile, died in Oxford on Saturday at age 88, the Associated Press reports. ![]()
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