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 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.
I'm Tony Armstrong. Roger Banister was.
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.
Also academically gifted.
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
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 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, 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.
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, the runners took off. On the first lap, Roger settled into second place behind Brusher, with Chadaway in third.
This was all part of the plan.
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.
They'd planned in training. Then, heading into the.
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 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 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.
He was honored throughout his life in many ways, statues.
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.
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I'm Tony Armstrong and I'll speak to you next time for another crack and sports story.
Cheers,