The Roger Bannister Mile – The Oxford Student

Precisely 70 years in the past at the moment, with a time of three:59.4, Sir Roger Bannister grew to become the primary man in documented historical past to run a mile (1600m) in below 4 minutes. Now, whereas the mile document has lengthy been taken to three:43:13 by Hicham El Guerrouj, the Bannister Mile nonetheless stays a shining gentle within the self-discipline, ceaselessly inspiring aspirational runners.

Now, 70 years on, tons of of runners have gathered in Oxford on a crisp Monday morning to run the “Group Mile” – a mile-stretch starting outdoors Christ Church and Pembroke and going alongside the Excessive Road all the best way to the Iffley Monitor, the place Bannister achieved his feat in 1954. With 12 waves of near 100 folks per wave working at five-minute intervals between 9am and 11am, the crowds took full benefit of the closed Excessive Road, monitoring enthusiastically in the direction of the Iffley Centre, whereas runners awaiting their begin gathered within the Christ Church Meadows. Arriving at 9am, one could be rapidly struck by the palpable pleasure that hummed within the air.

Certainly, talking to 2 members of the Midlands Masters AC, each already armed with in depth expertise collaborating within the Bannister Miles, they appeared simply as impressed as ever to take part this 12 months.

“It’s virtually a non secular pilgrimage, isn’t it? It’s a landmark occasion that’s up there with going to the moon. We have been saying on the best way down that there’s much less folks [that have] run a 4 minute mile than have scaled Everest.” 

Whereas many would possibly scoff on the prospect of a mile being extra important than scaling Everest, the presence of world document holders reminiscent of Hicham El Guerrouj, Steven Cram, and Filbert Bayi at the moment speaks to the gravity of the Bannister Mile.

In fact the Bannister Miles is not only a participatory occasion. Whereas positively encouraging a enjoyable and community-wide participation, with a delegated Youngsters Athletics Wave, the Bannister Mile can also be an elite athletics occasion. With its “Monitor Miles” possibility enjoying host to elite, invitational races and, in collaboration with the British Milers Membership (BMC), equi-distant steeplechase, junior, and para races. 

Though the Group Mile races would have completed earlier than noon, the Seventieth-year commemorations of Bannister’s historic achievement are removed from over. With the elite races starting from 13:40 and lasting all the best way to 18:00, precisely 70 years on from Bannister’s run, yet one more era of main athletes will step into the highlight, impressed by the achievements of Bannister, Cram, El Gurreouj, and different legends. 

To maintain up to date with the Bannister Miles, go to their web site right here.

Picture description: The ending line of the Roger Bannister Group Mile.

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