Roger Bannister’s famous sub-four minute was achieved at Oxford University’s Iffley Road track on 6th May 1954. A gifted middle-distance runner, Bannister represented Great Britain at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics over 1500m, narrowly missing out on a medal against an incredibly strong field, though setting a new British record in the process. Looking for a new target, his attention turned to the mile, and the unbreakable four-minute barrier. He started preparing accordingly, fitting training around his work as a junior doctor. In May 1954 in a match between Oxford University Athletics Club and the Amateur Athletic Association, he got his moment.
Courtesy of Museum of World Athletics.
Bannister, along with fellow athletes Christopher Chataway and Chris Brasher who would act as his pacers for the race, were on the AAA team, although Bannister himself had studied medicine at Exeter College Oxford just a few years earlier. The plan worked, the pacers ensured a fast race giving Bannister a good shot at the record. Bannister completing the final lap of the track in 59 seconds to record time of 3:59.4, although this took some while to be revealed in full as on hearing the announcer give the time as “three minutes…” the crowd erupted, drowning out the rest of the announcement.
Bannister went on to take gold in the mile at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, 1954, with a time 3:58.8, and in the “metirc-mile” (1500m) at the European Championships in Bern, Switzerland. He retired from athletics later that year to focus fully on a medical career which spanned over 40 years.
Celebrating Bannister’s mile
A celebration of the 70th anniversary of Bannister’s record run was held in Oxford over the Early May Bank Holiday weekend, with a Community Mile open to all comers run through Oxford city centre on the morning of May 6th and a programme of elite mile races held at the Iffley Road track in the afternoon. Various organisations brought mile memorabilia to display at the track, including items from Bannister’s private collection, now in the care of the archives of Pembroke College Oxford, where Bannister was Master from 1985-1993.
By kind permission of the Master, Fellows and Scholars of Pembroke College, Oxford
The Museum of World Athletics presented two heritage plaques on the day. One to the Bannister Family, recognising the significance of Roger’s achievements, and one to Oxford University Athletics Club in recognition of the significance of the club and of the Iffley Road track.
