Roger Bannister, first runner to break 4-minute mile, dies at 88

[jbcarol]

[oldfart]

not football related but sports world lost an icon with the death of Roger Bannister. broke the myth of the four minute mile. i remember watching the big race between Bannnister and John Landy in Vancouver in the Commonwealth Games. my dad put the stopwatch on them and both came in under four minutes. considering the state of tracks in those days it is even more impressive

[MuskogeeHogFan]

not football related but sports world lost an icon with the death of Roger Bannister. broke the myth of the four minute mile. i remember watching the big race between Bannnister and John Landy in Vancouver in the Commonwealth Games. my dad put the stopwatch on them and both came in under four minutes. considering the state of tracks in those days it is even more impressive

ESPN reports on his passing.

On a windy late afternoon in Oxford on May 6, 1954, Bannister ran four laps on a cinder track in three minutes 59.4 seconds to crack the mythical 4-minute mile -- a feat many had thought humanly impossible. A few months later in 1954, Bannister beat Australian rival John Landy in the "Miracle Mile" or "Mile of the Century" at the Empire Games in Vancouver, British Columbia, as both men ran under four minutes.

Bannister then gave up running to pursue a long and distinguished medical career.


http://www.espn.com/athletics/story/_/id/22642120/sir-roger-bannister-dies-lord-sebastian-coe-steve-cram-lead-tributes-athlete-broke-four-minute-mile

[ballz2thewall]

man, he set to bar, no doubt.

[oldfart]

i recall our track coach mentioning records that would probably never be broken including the 4 min mile a 7 ft high jump and a 17 ft pole vault. didnt take much longer till all were broken but of course took a new approch to the high jump and the fiberglass pole. bannisters breakthrough was sheer effort

[EastexHawg]

Yes, Bannister was a true legend.  I remember a book of sports greats that I had as a kid, and I specifically remember the picture and story of Bannister.

Speaking of running the mile, has there ever been a more remarkable high school athlete than Jim Ryun, putting up the incredible times he did as a teenager?

[PygmalionEffect2]

Speaking of running the mile, has there ever been a more remarkable high school athlete than Jim Ryun, putting up the incredible times he did as a teenager?

I don't know,

maybe the high-schooler that shattered Ryun's mile record?

[HognitiveDissonance]

Breaking the 4 minute mile could be considered analogous to climbing Mt Everest for the first time.

Huge breakthrough.

[ICEman]

i recall our track coach mentioning records that would probably never be broken including the 4 min mile a 7 ft high jump and a 17 ft pole vault. didnt take much longer till all were broken but of course took a new approch to the high jump and the fiberglass pole. bannisters breakthrough was sheer effort

New asymptotic barriers appear to be the sub 19 sec 200 m, 30' long jump (though Carl Lewis once exceeded 30', estimated, on a very slight foul) and the sub 2 hr Marathon (not even multiple pace setters and über highTech shoes could take this one down).

[welchog]

New asymptotic barriers appear to be the sub 19 sec 200 m, 30' long jump (though Carl Lewis once exceeded 30', estimated, on a very slight foul) and the sub 2 hr Marathon (not even multiple pace setters and über highTech shoes could take this one down).

I believe the 2 hr marathon will fall in my lifetime.

As far as Bannister, he is a legend that will be remembered for all time.

[DeltaBoy]

i recall our track coach mentioning records that would probably never be broken including the 4 min mile a 7 ft high jump and a 17 ft pole vault. didnt take much longer till all were broken but of course took a new approch to the high jump and the fiberglass pole. bannisters breakthrough was sheer effort

My Dad said they were told the same thing in the early 1960's and Bannister was considered a freak of nature.

[Pigsknuckles]

At 48 years of age, and in probably the best condition I had been in since high school, I ran a popular local mile road race in 5:30. Cannot begin to conceive sub four minutes, though I have watched it done several times.

[oldfart]

its all the more amazing to me having run on the cinder tracks typical of that time to imagine doing it under 4 min

[pigtrino]

https://www.ted.com/talks/david_epstein_are_athletes_really_getting_faster_better_stronger

The people that concern themselves with the passing of Sir Roger Bannister and the limitations of cinder tracks will enjoy the he!! out of this talk.

[PORKULATOR]

He was a dentist I think as well. Very accomplished person. RIP Mr Bannister

[pigtrino]

Neurologist

[welchog]

https://www.ted.com/talks/david_epstein_are_athletes_really_getting_faster_better_stronger

The people that concern themselves with the passing of Sir Roger Bannister and the limitations of cinder tracks will enjoy the he!! out of this talk.

Thanks for that.  Great information.

[oldfart]

very interesting talk and put a lot of things in perspective. one thing that i have observed in my lifetime is the emphasis on weight training in many sports. in football for example up until the 70s it was thought that weight training was not good as it would make the players "muscle bound" and 220 lb (or smaller) linemen were common.  a 300 lb lineman was considered a freak.

also it reminded me of how we spent time learning how to dig a proper foothold in the track for the 100 yd dash :-)

[welchog]

very interesting talk and put a lot of things in perspective. one thing that i have observed in my lifetime is the emphasis on weight training in many sports. in football for example up until the 70s it was thought that weight training was not good as it would make the players "muscle bound" and 220 lb (or smaller) linemen were common.  a 300 lb lineman was considered a freak.

also it reminded me of how we spent time learning how to dig a proper foothold in the track for the 100 yd dash :-)

Same thing with basketball.  Myth was lifting would throw off your shot.  Terrible advice.

[Pigsknuckles]

https://www.ted.com/talks/david_epstein_are_athletes_really_getting_faster_better_stronger

The people that concern themselves with the passing of Sir Roger Bannister and the limitations of cinder tracks will enjoy the he!! out of this talk.

Thanks. Enjoyed that. I have to wonder, in the midst of the current golf controversy over golf ball liveliness, how the equipment, and course technology of today would have affected the game of Nicklaus, Palmer, Hagen, Nelson, etc.

[longtimeHogfan]

At 48 years of age, and in probably the best condition I had been in since high school, I ran a popular local mile road race in 5:30. Cannot begin to conceive sub four minutes, though I have watched it done several times.

Several years ago, at least 10-15 probably, a South African runner participating in the Boston Marathon, threw in a sub 4-minute mile at about the 15 mile mark just to separate himself from the pack. 

There's some amazing athletes out there....

[oldfart]

Thanks. Enjoyed that. I have to wonder, in the midst of the current golf controversy over golf ball liveliness, how the equipment, and course technology of today would have affected the game of Nicklaus, Palmer, Hagen, Nelson, etc.

. just imagining sam snead with that fantastic swing of his with modern balls and clubs

[welchog]

. just imagining sam snead with that fantastic swing of his with modern balls and clubs

Jack Nicklaus set the long drive skills competition record during the PGA Championship in 1963 at 23 years old at 341 yards when "hitting it on the screws" was not a metaphor.  Just think how far he could have cranked it with today's technology.

[oldfart]

Jack Nicklaus set the long drive skills competition record during the PGA Championship in 1963 at 23 years old at 341 yards when "hitting it on the screws" was not a metaphor.  Just think how far he could have cranked it with today's technology.

now they hit 3 woods 300 yards