Roger Bannister, 1929-2018
Sir Roger Bannister, who has died at the age of 88, gave sport one of its most cherished moments.
One of Great Britain’s most-respected athletes will be remembered for a feat in Oxford in 1954 when he ran the first sub-four-minute mile. The challenge had been widely regarded until then as beyond the limit of human endurance. His record would stand for just 46 days, but his place in athletics history was assured.
Sir Roger Bannister, the first man to run a sub-four minute mile, has died at the age of 88.
Bannister, aided by Sir Christopher Chataway and Chris Brasher as pacemakers, achieved a feat widely viewed at the time as impossible by running three minutes 59.4 seconds at the Iffley Road track in Oxford on 6 May, 1954.
Bannister, who also won a Commonwealth and European Championship gold medal that year, went on to become a leading neurologist.
He was born on 23 March 1929 in London and died on Saturday at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, the same hospital he trained at as a medical student.
Bannister had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011.
His family said in a statement that he “died peacefully…surrounded by his family who were as loved by him, as he was loved by them. He banked his treasure in the hearts of his friends.”
Lord Coe, who followed in Bannister’s footsteps by breaking the mile world record three times, paid tribute to an inspirational man, describing him as a “giant”.
“On 6 May, 1954, Roger made the impossible possible,” Coe, now the president of athletics’ world governing body the IAAF, said on iaaf.org.
“One year after the coronation of a young Queen Elizabeth II and after man conquered Everest, Roger Bannister ran the first sub-fourminute 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. It was a moment in history that lifted the heart of a nation and boosted morale in a world that was still at a low ebb after the war.
“We have all lost a giant and, for many of us, a deep and close friendship.”
Steve Cram, another British mile world record breaker, said on BBC Radio 5 Live: “To have Roger Bannister as a Brit having done that was something I used so often over the years to inspire me individually. I wanted to be a great British miler following in his footsteps.”
Four-time Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah described Bannister as “always humble, supportive and encouraging” and “an inspiration to so many”.
Women’s marathon world record holder Paula Radcliffe tweeted: “Saddened to hear the news that we have lost one of the true pioneers, trailblazers and iconic inspirations of our sport. Sir Roger Bannister showed that barriers are there to be broken and there are no limits.”
British long-distance runner Jo Pavey, a former European champion over 10,000 metres, said Bannister was a “true hero”.
She said: “He’s such a great example to all the athletes coming through. He was such a gentleman, so able to give encouragement to all the generations of athletes coming through.”