Roger Bannister

Key moments in eight years as an athlete

Schooldays

Wins junior cross-country cup three consecutive times

1946

Begins his running career at the age of 17.

1947-50

Winner of Oxford vs Cambridge mile race each year.

1951: July 14th

Wins the mile race at the AAA (Amateur Athletics Association) Championships in White City, London in front of 47,000 people.  His time is 4 minutes 7.8 seconds, a meet record.

1952: July 26th

Fourth in the Helsinki Olympics 1500m final, setting a British record

1953: May 2nd

Creates new British record for the mile (the previous one had stood since 1945) with a time of 4 minutes 3.6 seconds. “This race made me realise that the four-minute mile was not out of reach”

1954: May 6th

Runs the first sub-four minute mile with a time of 3 minutes 59.4 seconds, assisted by his friends Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway who act as pacemakers.

The race takes place at the Iffley Road Stadium in Oxford in front of a crowd of some 3,000 (mostly students). The race was recorded by the BBC.

His record would be broken by John Landy, 46 days later, with a time of 3 minutes 57.9 seconds.

1954: August 7th

Wins the mile event at the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games (now the Commonwealth Games) in Vancouver with a time of 3 minutes 58.8 seconds, beating rival John Landy into second place.

The race became known as ‘The Miracle Mile’; click here to view a short film, which includes coverage of the race and the memories of both Roger Bannister and John Landy.

1954: August 29th

Wins the 1500m final at the European Championships in Bern with a championship record time of 3 minutes 43.8 seconds.

We are currently attempting to locate the copyright holder of this 70-year-old image signed by Roger Bannister (Oxford Bodleian Libraries. Archive of Roger Bannister. MS. 11527 Photogr.2.)

Late 1954

Retires from athletics to focus on his medical career.