Community mile marks Bannister record anniversary

Runners of all ages and abilities took part in the  Bannister Community Mile

A university has marked the 70th anniversary of Sir Roger Bannister running a mile in under four minutes with a mass running event.

Sir Roger was the first man to achieve the feat, which took place at the Iffley Road track at Oxford University on 6 May 1954.

The then-medical student, who died in 2018, ran the distance in three minutes and 59.4 seconds.

Runners of all ages and abilities took part in the Bannister Community Mile through the centre of Oxford from 09:00 BST.

Sir Roger was a medical student in Oxford when he set the record

It was organised by Oxford University Athletic Club and the university, with support from Oxfordshire County Council.

Waves of runners departed from St Aldate’s, progressed down the High Street and finished on Iffley Road, before collecting their medals on the famous track.

A series of track races followed, as well as a presentation of World Athletics Heritage Plaques.

The Bodleian Libraries featured a display of archive highlights on Sir Roger's life at Weston Library's Blackwell Hall.

The running event is in celebration of the life and legacy of Sir Roger

Sir Roger described setting the record in front of a cheering crowd of about 3,000 people as "the moment of a lifetime".

He went on to win a Commonwealth and a European Championship gold medal.

But he retired from athletics at the end of 1954 to pursue his medical studies, specialising in research and treatment of the body's automatic functions, such as heartbeat, blood pressure and digestion.

He became a distinguished neurologist and died in March 2018, aged 88.

Before the Bannister Community Mile, Sir Roger's son, Thurstan Bannister, said it would be "exciting to watch", adding that many runners would find it inspiring.