The First Sub-Four-Minute Mile

It’s human nature to want to push the limits of our capabilities. But it’s easy to forget that some things, which seem ordinary now, weren’t so simple until we achieved them. Midway through the 20th century, running a mile in under 4 minutes seemed impossible. But one man dared to try: a medical student from London named Roger Bannister.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:04):
It's human nature to want to push the limits of
our capabilities, from climbing everest to exploring space. We're practically
hardwired to go above and beyond, but it's easy to
forget that some things which seem ordinary now weren't so
simple until we achieved them. Midway through the twentieth century,
running a mile in under four minutes seemed impossible, but

(00:25):
one man dared to try, a medical student from London
named Roger Banister. Hey, welcome to the pool room, where
we celebrate the winners, losers and the weird stuff between.

Speaker 2 (00:43):
I'm Tony Armstrong. Roger Banister was.

Speaker 1 (01:05):
Born in nineteen twenty nine and grew up in a
working class family. As a youngster, he realized he was
a talented cross country runner and was winning races As
early as twelve years old. He was only training a
couple times a week, but he quickly proved his aptitude
after winning several junior competitions as a teenager, it looked
like Roger was destined for athletic success, but he was.

Speaker 2 (01:27):
Also academically gifted.

Speaker 1 (01:35):
When Roger was seventeen, a trip with his father became
a defining experience. They traveled to see a race between
two of the best runners of the era, Englishman Sidney
Woodson and Sweden's Arn Anderson. Woodson was nicknamed the Mighty
Adam and that day in nineteen forty five was his
career comeback. Anderson went on to win the race, but

(01:58):
it was a moment of inspiration for Roger. Woodson, Anderson,
and another suite Gunda Hag, had all been vying for
the one mile record, and it was Hag who eventually
came out on top that same year with a time
of four minutes and one point four seconds, But beating
that record would soon become Roger Bannister's ambition running a

(02:18):
sub four minute mile. As Roger's sporting ambitions grew, he
didn't take his eyes off his academic pursuits. After finishing
his schooling, he was eventually accepted into Cambridge before applying
to Oxford. Roger proceeded with a three year medical degree,

(02:39):
aiming to become a neurologist, but of course Oxford also
had a great athletic program. His first event was the
Oxford Freshman's Mile. He came second, recording a time of
four minutes fifty three. It was far from impressive, but
it was the first time he'd warn spikes and raced
on a proper track. Until now, Roger's entire athletic career

(03:00):
had been cross country running. Roger would race on weekends
and still only train once or twice a week, but
gradually focusing on the eight hundred meters, his track times
began to improve four minutes thirty four minutes twenty four.
It would still be a few years before he was
ready to compete at an international level, but Roger had

(03:21):
made huge strides. He was even his own coach because
he couldn't find a suitable person for the job. Then,
in nineteen fifty a milestone, Roger finished third in a
photo finish at the European Championships. He was just zero
point two seconds off of gold medal. He didn't think
much of it himself, but he was almost ready to

(03:42):
take his next big leap the world stage. At the
nineteen fifty two Olympics. Roger was primed for success, but
he ultimately fell short thanks to an extra round being
added to the fifteen hundred meters. Three races in three
consecutive days proved too much. Despite being in second place

(04:03):
in the final with two hundred meters to go. He
was exhausted and easily overtaken, finishing fourth. As his medical
career started to take off, Roger almost considered retiring from athletics,
but his unfulfilled dream of running a mile and under
four minutes was hard to shake. Another athletic milestone solidified

(04:27):
that ambition as a genuine possibility. In nineteen fifty three,
Rogers set a new British record of four minutes and
three point six seconds. He improved on that time soon
after four minutes too, but that one wasn't an official event. Regardless,
Roger was ready for a world shattering attempt at the
sub four minute mile. On the sixth of May nineteen

(04:51):
fifty four, around three thousand spectators gathered at the Itfly
Road track at Oxford. There was a sense of anticipation
among them. They knew they could be about to witness history.
If you want to get a sense of what it
was like, well you can. The whole race was filmed
and broadcast by the BBC. It was a wet and

(05:14):
windy morning, not ideal conditions for a track meet. Roger
tried to stay in routine during the build up Porridge
for breakfast, a visit to the hospital and time to
sharpen his spikes before jumping on a train to Oxford.
As rain lashed the track just forty five minutes before

(05:37):
the race was due to start, he thought about abandoning
the attempt, but the gods must have been on his side,
because just in the nick of time, sunlight broke through
the dark clouds and the rain subsided. The record attempt
was on. Roger lined up alongside four pace setters, which
included his friends and racing colleagues Chris Brusher and Chris Chataway.

(06:01):
The closest record time stood at four minutes one point
four seconds yep, the very same time set by the
Swedish runner Gunda Hag nearly a decade prior. Now he
was Roger attempting to smash it. The conditions were almost
perfect now as the starting gun fire From a standing start,

(06:22):
the runners took off. On the first lap, Roger settled
into second place behind Brusher, with Chadaway in third.

Speaker 2 (06:29):
This was all part of the plan.

Speaker 1 (06:34):
At the end of the first quarter mile lap, the
time on the clock read fifty seven point four seconds.
The runners maintained their formation, staying ahead of the clock
as they completed lap two, eleven hundred yards in Chadaway
Spurderhead followed by Roger as Brusha dropped back just like.

Speaker 2 (06:51):
They'd planned in training. Then, heading into the.

Speaker 1 (06:55):
Fourth and final lap, Roger needed to match or beat
his first lap's pace to break the record. With the
anticipation building in the crowd, people began to cheer. With
two hundred and fifty yards to go, Roger began to push.
With the burst of speed, he took the lead for
the final stretch. The spectators were on their feet, urging
him on. Roger took his final few strides and hurled

(07:17):
himself over the finish line. He collapsed in exhaustion and relief.
At last, he'd broken the sub four minute mile and
made history. Roger Banister went on to represent England at
the nineteen fifty four Commonwealth Games in Vancouver, where he
won gold in the one mile event. He considered the

(07:38):
medal a much greater achievement than breaking the sub four
minute barrier. Roger died on the third of March twenty eighteen,
at the ripe old age of eighty eight.

Speaker 2 (07:53):
He was honored throughout his life in many ways, statues.

Speaker 1 (07:57):
Plaques, and even knighthood, but in a twenty fourteen interview,
he said he prefer to be remembered for his medical career.
He's work in neurology, which spans sixty years. Either way,
Roger Bannister's lasting impact on the world will never be forgotten.

Speaker 2 (08:34):
The Ballroom is an iHeart production.

Speaker 1 (08:37):
I'm Tony Armstrong and I'll speak to you next time
for another crack and sports story.

Speaker 2 (08:42):
Cheers,