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Roger Bannister




If Roger Bannister had won an Olympic gold medal he may never have broken the 4 minute mile. For his intention was to win gold at the Olympics and then retire from athletics and concentrate on his career in medicine.
Roger Bannister was born on the 23rd March 1929 in Harrow, Middlesex England. His desire to run started at an early age. He showed an incredible speed and would practice when he set off to go to school. He later won a place at Oxford University to study medicine.
In 1952 he went to the Olympics in Helsinki and finished 4th in the 1500 metres. He was severely criticised by the British press. This made him more determined to come back and break the 4 minute mile.
By 1954 he was ready. It was a cold windy day in Oxford on the 6th May and the wind nearly wrecked the event. But by the early evening it had died down. Chris Chataway and Chris Brasher both of whom were friends
acted as his pacemakers. They would help set the pace. Bannister completed the mile in 3.59.4 this was a new record. The 1924 Olympic 100 metres champion Harold Abrahams was timekeeper.
The following month John Landy the Australian broke Bannister's record by running 3.57.9. Bannister though was the first man to do it. He
retired towards the end of that year. Bannister later became a
consultant neurologist and in 1975 he was knighted.

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