Sir Roger Bannister: run to mark 70th anniversary of record

As a medical student in Oxford, Sir Roger used his knowledge to devise his own training regime

A mass running event is being planned to mark the 70th anniversary of Sir Roger Bannister running a mile in under four minutes.

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 ran the distance in three minutes and 59.4 seconds.

The Bannister Community Mile will take place in the centre of Oxford on 6 May.

It is open to participants of all ages and abilities and will depart from St Aldate's, progress down the High Street, and finish on Iffley Road, with runners collecting their medal on the famous track.

Later in the day there will be a series of track races and a presentation of World Athletics Heritage Plaques in recognition of Sir Roger.

The Bannister Community Mile will celebrate the life and legacy of Sir Roger

Prof Irene Tracey, the university's vice-chancellor, described the community mile as a "fitting way to celebrate together" the "landmark achievement".

"Breaking the four-minute mile barrier has endured as a defining achievement in sporting history," she said.

The event has been arranged by Oxford University Athletic Club and the university, with support from Oxfordshire County Council.

'Inspiring'

Sir Roger won a Commonwealth and a European Championship gold medal after conquering the sub four-minute mile.

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

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

His son Thurstan Bannister said: "After retiring from competitive athletics, my father continually encouraged elite athletes and amateur runners of all ages, partly in his role as the first chairman of the Sports Council (now Sport England).

"The track and community miles will be exciting to watch, and I am sure many runners will find them so inspiring, they will shatter their PRs and other records."

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