Tributes paid to 4-minute mile legend Bannister
Bannister in 1954 TRIBUTES poured in yesterday to Sir Roger Bannister who made history as the first man to run a sub four-minute mile.
The modest medic died peacefully at 88 in Oxford, surrounded by his family.
They said: “He banked his treasure in the hearts of his friends.”
Organisers of the London Marathon summed up the man in their tribute: “For some the word legend doesn’t quite cut it.”
IAAF president Sebastian Coe, who also broke the mile record in 1981, said Sir Roger’s run of 3min 59.4 seconds on the cold, blustery evening of May 6 1954, had inspired him and countless others.
He added: “One year after the coronation of a young Queen Elizabeth II and after man conquered Everest, he ran the first sub four-minute mile with the help of his friends Chris Chataway and Chris Brasher.
“The world’s best runners had been attempting the fourminute barrier for a quarter of a century.
“It was as much of a psychological barrier as it was a physical barrier. Bannister’s assault allowed mankind to enter a world filled with new possibilities.
“His achievement transcended sport, let alone athletics.”