Roger Bannister

Roger Bannister

Happy 80th birthday to Roger Bannister, the first man to break the four-minute mile. Bannister was 17 years old the first time he ran on a track. After just three short training sessions, he was already clocked running a mile at 4:24:6. Over the next eight years, Bannister trained; he participated in the 1952 Olympics, set a British running record, but didn't manage to win any medals. Then — though they said it couldn't be done — on May 6, 1954, Bannister was clocked at 3:59:04, at a meet at Oxford University. Because of his achievement he was chosen as Sports Illustrated's first "Sportsman of the Year." About six weeks later, Australian John Landy broke Bannister's record, finishing the mile in 3:57:9.

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From our Archives: Today's Highlights, March 23, 2009