Chris Brasher with Roger Bannister and Chris Chataway (© Getty Images)
Oxford, EnglandPembroke College and the University of Oxford's Iffley Road Sports Ground will tomorrow relive the moment 50 years ago when Sir Roger Bannister made athletics history.
Celebrations will be held at Pembroke College and the University of Oxford's Iffley Road Sports Ground on Thursday 6 May 2004.
Pembroke College, where Sir Roger was Master between 1985 and 1993, will be exhibiting his trophies and memorabilia connected with the record-breaking run. Among the items on display will be the watch used by the Olympic gold medallist Harold Abrahams, official timekeeper on the day, to time the four-minute mile.
Today's runners will be restaging the original athletics meeting at which the world record was made at the University's Iffley Road Sports Ground from 15.00. Oxford University Athletes (past and present) will take on the Amateur Athletics Association. The afternoon will culminate in an Elite Mile, organised by the British Milers' Club, which will start at 18:00 - the same time as the original record-breaking run.
UKA
NB. a report of the events in Oxford will be published on the IAAF internet on Friday 7 May.
Tasmania set to celebrate anniversary of the breaking of the four minute mile
There is perhaps no statistic in sport which has captivated the world quite so much as the four minute mile.
So the Launceston City Council and the Northern Athletic Centre Board has decided to invite the community to participate in its celebration of the 50th anniversary of the breaking of the first four minute mile.
The brainchild of city alderman and athletics identity, Frank Nott, the Golden Mile Night will be staged at the Athletic Centre at St Leonards, a Launceston suburb, on Thursday evening, 6 May, fifty years to the day on which Roger Bannister ran 3.59.4.
“It is not just for regular athletes. We are encouraging other sporting clubs, community groups, families and individuals to mark the first Thursday evening in May in their diaries,” says Northern Athletics President, Helen Moir.
“We are planning to conduct as many mile races on the evening as there is a demand for. If we are still there at midnight, it won’t worry us. This is a wonderful occasion to celebrate.”
Alderman Nott said that he was delighted that John Landy had agreed to be the patron of the night and to allow his image and signature to appear on the commemorative certificate which every finisher will receive.
“Many believe that John should have been the first sub four minute miler but it was not to be. He ran over a second faster than Bannister just five or so weeks later. He is a great Australian and we are very pleased that he is lending his name to our event,” he said.
Athletics Australia Life Member, Clive Lee who was present at the Iffley Road Track at Oxford on the day Bannister and his colleagues, Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway organised themselves to ensure an Englishman was the first to break through the magic barrier, has been invited to start the elite men’s and women’s races on the night.
Lee was due to start the Bannister race in 1954 but was gazumped on the day by a more senior official who had been the chief starter at the 1948 Olympics in London.
All finishers unlike those who finished outside the first three in the original four minute mile will receive an official time on the commemorative certificate.
Brian Roe
Vancouver, Canada prepares to celebrate the anniversary
A group of runners in Cambridge, Ontario is celebrating the 50th anniversary of year of sub four minute miles with a day of miling at 150 year old Galt Collegiate Institute.
Elite runners from across Canada, past sub four minute milers including Dave Bailey, Canada's first sub four miler, will be on hand as a series of mile races takes place June 17th. There will be races for children to masters age and everyone in between.
The track at Galt Collegiate, is being resurfaced with crushed brick and the organisers are selling off the track metre by metre to raise money.
Sir Roger Bannister himself has lent his backing along with Kevin Sullivan the Canadian record holder, and the Parliament of Canada will be applauding it in the House of Parliament this month.
Vancouver, Canada was the site of the 1954 Empire Games where Bannister and Landy both broke four minutes - the first time two competitors had done it in the same race.
Paul Gains