In the year 1954, when Roger Bannister was only 25 years old made headlines across the globe as he became the first man to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. Bannister then made a clear record of completing one mile in 3:59:4 seconds which was impossible for any runner until then both physically and psychologically.
Roger Bannister belonged to British, and until he broke the record, it was thought that the sub 4-mile running race was far from achieving and perhaps too dangerous for those who thought of trying it anyhow.
Theresa May, the current British prime minister led her condolence to the former sports person who later became Europe’s topmost neurologist and was also considered as a knight. Theresa’s twitter handle last evening said, “Sir, Roger Bannister was a great British sporting icon whose achievements were an inspiration to us all. He will be greatly missed.”
When Bannister was rehearsing on the running tracks, at the same time he also made preparations for his medical career. During the year 1954, Bannister retired from being a full-time sports person and continued his medical career.
Marcus Eliason, the former associated press writer, shares his past moments when he was interviewing Bannister during his 30th anniversary to make that track record, he says, “in 1984, while stationed in London for the associated press, I phoned Roger Bannister to request an interview for the 30th anniversary of his becoming the first man to run a mile in under 4 minutes.
His initial response was: “is there still any interest in this?” “One has only to look at the worldwide reaction to his death at 88 to grasp what an understatement that was. And the interview remains one of the most enjoyable I ever had,” he adds. Bannister died on Saturday in Oxford where he was living in a modest home which was located not so far from the track where he first made history.
