The First 4 Minute Mile Remembered

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PeterF
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Joined: Sun Nov 10, 2002 10:00 pm

The First 4 Minute Mile Remembered

Post by PeterF » Wed Apr 21, 2004 2:32 pm

50 Years ago. May 6th 1954..I was a 12 year old taken by my Dad to watch an athletics competition at the Iffley Road sports ground on the outskirts of Oxford.
I was very keen on athletics and followed all major events.
I knew the names of two runners..Roger Bannister and Chris Chataway..
Could remember Banister had been expected to win gold at the Helsinki Olympics and was beaten by some guy called Zatopek 2 years earlier.

Back to my memories..
This article prompted.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/3642381.stm
The place was packed there were no stands people just surrounded the track..I wondered why..."He is trying for the first 4 minute mile" I learnt..

The athletes were all students it was like some sort of Physics Experiment.
It seemed fixed to my young eyes..they were all trying to help this one guy Bannister to win..not realy a race..I did not understand the race was against the clock.
When the announcer tried to read out the winners time.. all that I heard was...Roger Bannister..3 min................the rest of what he said was lost in the noise.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/athletics/3642381.stm

Bannister went on to graduate as medical doctor and became a specialist in sports injuries..his fellow student/pace maker Chris Chataway became a Minister in Thatcher Government..had a row with her and quit politics..(he had made a couple of million quid from his publishing company so did not care).



The First 4 Minute Mile Remembered

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