One of the world's fastest men dies at 88
On May 6, 1954 in London, England, there was no reason to think there would be anything special about this dank, blustery Thursday.
A young medical student named Roger Bannister finished his shift at the local hospital, then went to lunch with his friends.
Later, he met some of his track teammates and began his workout.
The sport of track and field would never be the same.
Bannister ran one mile, and he did it in a remarkable 3:59.4, the first sub-four-minute mile in recorded history.
Nearly 64 years later, Sir Roger Bannister died Saturday at the age of 88.
Prior to his extraordinary achievement, the four-minute mile was considered an impossible barrier to break.
As The New York Times stated at the time, Bannister accomplished “one of man’s hitherto unattainable goals.”
Remarkably, Bannister may have had an even more impressive impact long after his track career was over, becoming a well-regarded neurologist.
While records are made to be broken (and Bannister’s mark was), what it stands for has never been up for debate.
Runners 30 years his junior still marvel at what he meant to the sport.
Following news of Bannister’s passing, Steve Cram — a former world champion mid-distance runner from Britain — was one of many people to pay their respects.
“His achievement in 1954 lived with him his whole life and it inspired so many people and it inspired a resurgence in British middle-distance running,” Cram told ESPN. “He was an incredibly inspirational person to not only people of my era, but to before and after.”
Sebastian Coe, a fellow British runner who in 1981 posted a mile time of 3:47.33, expressed similar sentiments.
Bannister finished his athletic career in 1954, then became a doctor. In 1975, he was knighted.
In recent years, he battled Parkinson’s disease, but even that couldn’t defeat the humble legend’s spirit.
“I do not want to make a fuss,” he told the U.K. Mirror in 2014. “I make light of it as I can.”
The London Marathon may have said it best on its Twitter page.
“For some the word legend doesn’t quite cut it,” the tweet read. “Rest in peace Sir Roger Bannister.”
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