Sir Roger Bannister remains “astonished” that his achievement of running the first sub-four-minute mile is still celebrated, but he hopes it can continue to inspire generations.
Bannister recorded a time of three minutes 59.4 seconds in Oxford on May 6, 1954, an achievement that earned him instant worldwide acclaim.
He went on to win gold in the mile in the 1954 Commonwealth Games, beating John Landy who had broken Bannister’s record just 46 days after the Brit had set it.
Now 84, and with the 60th anniversary of his achievement approaching, Bannister is flattered by the interest that remains in his landmark run and hoping Britain can produce new track heroes.
“I have been astonished,” Bannister, who gave up athletics and became a recognised name in neurology, told PA Sport.
“If it brings other people in to running then it is all for the good and I am still very happy to do all I can to help.
“The whole problem is to get people involved. One hopes they will watch the Olympics and be inspired to take up running.
“I myself was inspired after being taken to see Sydney Wooderson at Crystal Palace and I realised that was the sport I wanted to do.
“It happens to be the centenary of the birth of Sydney, who I saw challenging the Swedes, who had been the record-holders during the war.
“There may be many children, of all different age groups, who can be inspired.
“It made all the difference to me and all of the athletes I ran with and ran against – they were inspired by the previous generation so it all locks together.”
As a student, Bannister famously only trained when his studies allowed − something that is far removed from today’s era of professional athletes, who have teams around them to keep every aspect of their preparation in check.
Additional information
For Bannister, the modern athlete can easily suffer from information overload.
“I think there is a certain amount of additional information about diet and so on, that is not of the same importance as having the energy to train hard and to build up a background of strength and speed,” he said.
“Those are the factors that are important − it is a mental effort more than anything else. It is a new, different era of professionalism. Things change, but I believe the essential core of the love of running is something that has not changed.”
Times and records may have tumbled since Bannister’s days, but he holds no envy that today’s athletes are full-time.
“There is no doubt that as the levels of performance have improved considerably,” he said.
“The amount of training required to produce that performance has increased.
“I was lucky to be involved in an era when I could be a medical student the whole time I was running, and when I qualified as a doctor then I retired. That, I think, is difficult now.”
The professional nature has arguably played a big part in the increase in doping within athletics, although Bannister believes the issue will eventually be stamped out.
“The rules are very strict,” he added.
“I like to think the battle is being won, although it will take further time.”
Note: Sir Roger was talking in his position as patron for the Westminster Mile. This year’s race will take place on May 24 and will officially mark the 60th anniversary of Bannister’s sub-four-minute mile.