Athletics legend Sir Roger Bannister passes away at 88
Sir Roger Bannister, the first person to run a mile in under four minutes, has passed away at the age of 88. Not only was Bannister a historical figure in sport, but went on to become a distinguished neurologist at Pembroke College, Oxford, after completing his medical studies from Oxford University and St. Mary's Hospital Medical School. Here's more on the legend.
Bannister's one-mile record stood only for 46 days
On 6th May, 1954, Sir Roger Bannister ran a mile (1.6km) in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. Although a first, his record only stood for 46 days and was broken by rival John Landy who had a time of 3 minutes and 57.9 seconds.
Roger Bannister started his running career in Oxford at 17
He was born on 23rd March, 1929, in Harrow, England. After completing his school education from the City of Bath Boys' School, Bannister continued his education in University College London, followed by Oxford University and St. Mary's Hospital Medical School. In the autumn of 1946, while at Oxford University, Bannister started his running career aged 17. Bannister was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease in 2011.
Bannister remains a legend in athletics
In 2004, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Bannister's feat, the Royal Mint issued a 50 pence coin showing Bannister's legs running against a stopwatch. The black leather-shoes in which Bannister set the first under-four-minutes one-mile record was sold for around $409,000 in 2014.
How Roger Bannister made history in athletics
Bannister showed promise and was selected as an Olympic "possible" in 1948. However, he declined, and competed in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics where he came fourth but set a new British record in the 1,500 metres final. Bannister then set the defining new one-mile record on 6th May, 1954, and went on to win gold in the 1954 Vancouver Commonwealth Games.
Competing is more important than breaking records, said the legend
Despite making a first-of-its-kind record, Bannister said that he had felt a greater sense of achievement by beating rival Landy in the 1954 Commonwealth Games and winning the gold. Competing in tournaments like the Olympics was "more important than breaking records", said Bannister in 2014.
