The Four-Minute Man, Forever

Franz Stampfl, his coach, implored him to run in a meet between Oxford and the Amateur Athletic Association: “He said to me, ‘Although the conditions are not ideal, if you don’t take this opportunity, you might not forgive yourself for the rest of your life.’ He was right.”

By Jesse Will, The...

Roger Bannister showed us how to combine sport and everyday living

What's astonishing about Bannister's 4 minute Mile in 1954 is that he was an amateur. He even worked on the day of the race

By John Bryant, The Guardian

Things were very different 60 years ago when Roger Bannister became an icon to Britain and the empire by becoming the first to break the 4...

In sports world, some numbers are just magic

Every sport that can be quantified has them — sub-4-minute Mile, 50 goals, 50 points, 59 strokes, 20 wins, .400 batting average, 2,000 yards rushing …

By Philip Hersh, Chicago Tribune

Sam Penzenstadler was shocked.

The Loyola University junior had just lowered his personal best by nine...

‘I gave it everything’: Sir Roger Bannister marks 60 years since his record

The Daily Telegraph, at the time, described it as “sport’s greatest goal”, something “as elusive and seemingly unattainable as Everest”.

By Harry Wallop, The Telegraph

As with so many moments in British history, it came down to the weather. On the morning of May 6, 1954, it was raining...