Sir Roger Bannister's ‘impossible’ feat
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
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Hello and welcome to More or Less on the BBC World Service, the show that takes the num out of numbers and the tat out of statistics.
What historic achievement is being introduced at the start of the episode?
I'm Tim Harford. The statistical annals of the world are full of record-breaking sporting achievements, and next Tuesday, May 6th, is the 60th anniversary of what may be the most famous of them all.
The most sought-after target in athletics, the four-minute mile, was achieved yesterday evening on the Oxford University track at Ifly Road.
On 6 May 1954, a young student doctor named Roger Bannister caught the train from London to Oxford and visited friends for a lunch of ham salad. His aim was to run a mile faster than it had ever been run before. Much faster. If Bannister broke the four-minute mark, he'd be over nine yards ahead of the previous record pace.
Up till yesterday, the world record for the mile stood at 4 minutes, 1.4 seconds. But as Bannister lined up for the start in this race between the 3As and Oxford University, he knew that he had two colleagues with him who'd help him beat that time.
How did Roger Bannister prepare and race to break the four-minute mile?
250 yards to go and Bannister takes over. Watch his giant stride take him to the front as he races the last lung-bursting furlong to the finishing post. This was it, the final effort against the seconds that have kept him and many others from the four-minute mile.
Despite intense competition, the record of 4 minutes 1.4 seconds hadn't moved for nine years, adding to the sense that breaking through the four-minute barrier would be a huge achievement.
The tape is broken, and so is the record athletes have long been dreaming about. But at first, Bannister knows little about it. He stumbles into the arms of his coach, completely exhausted by his magnificent effort. And that's how Roger Bannister, the 25-year-old medical student, became the first man in the world to run a mile in under four minutes. Three minutes, 59.4 seconds to be exact.
A famous record for the man we now know as Sir Roger Bannister. His achievement is an inspiration to people around the world striving to do what seems impossible. It's particularly popular in the world of motivational speaking. I'm just opening up my well-thumbed copy of Anthony Robbins' Awaken the Giant Within.
Was the four-minute mile really considered an 'impossible' barrier at the time?
Robbins says that Bannister destroyed forever a forbidding belief barrier. Almost as soon as he demolished that barrier, others poured to after him. Within one year of his triumph, 37 other runners also broke the four-minute mark. 37 within a year. That really would be a testament to the power of positive thinking. Tony Robbins, are you sure about that?
After Roger Bannister ran that four-minute mile, within two years, 37 people ran a four-minute mile.
Ah, 37 within two years. So you're absolutely sure about that, Tony?
Well, somebody said 37. The real number is 24. 24 people within a year.
How many runners broke the four-minute mile after Bannister and is Tony Robbins correct?
I love the fact Tony's now dissing his own claim. So 24 people within a year. Is that the final offer?
Once that happened, 24 people went a four-minute mile within a few years. And now high school students run four-minute miles. Right.
Well, we're all allowed to change our minds, of course. More or less it's James Fletcher is here, armed with his book of running statistics. So, James, 37, 24, one year, two years, a few years?
Well, Tim, 37 in one year is way off the mark. In the 12 months after Roger Bannister broke the four-minute barrier, only one other athlete managed it, and it was his great Australian rival John Landy. Just six weeks after Bannister set his record, Landy lowered it by almost two seconds. The two of them then met on the track at the Empire Games in Vancouver, and you can imagine, the only two men ever to break four minutes facing each other, this generated huge interest. And in a thrilling race, Bannister overtook Landy on the final bend to win. That race has become known as the Miracle Mile, and both men finished under four minutes. But that's it for that first 12 months. Roger Bannister plus John Landy.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:21
2
What historic achievement is being introduced at the start of the episode?
0:21–1:24
3
How did Roger Bannister prepare and race to break the four-minute mile?
1:24–2:41
4
Was the four-minute mile really considered an 'impossible' barrier at the time?
2:41–3:18
5
How many runners broke the four-minute mile after Bannister and is Tony Robbins correct?
3:18–5:07
6
What do the running statistics show about the pace of sub-four-minute miles over the years?
5:07–6:36
7
What does Sir Roger Bannister say about psychological limits and his personal motivation?
6:36–8:35
8
How many people have run sub-four minutes and where can listeners learn more?
8:35–9:26