Roger Bannister Podcast Insights

Roger Bannister was still a medical student in 1954, when he made headlines around the world with one of the landmark events of 20th century sports history. At the time, it was thought to be impossible for a human being to run a mile in under four minutes. The world record of 4:01.3 had stood for nine years, and experts regarded this time as an insurmountable human limitation. Bannister thought otherwise. He had already won the British championship in the event, and he applied his scientific training and medical knowledge to smashing the four-minute barrier. On May 6, 1954, he set a new world record, running the mile in 3:59.4 while fighting a 15 mile-per-hour crosswind. His record was later broken by Australian John Landy, but in a subsequent rematch, with both athletes running the mile in under four minutes, Bannister was again triumphant. Roger Bannister retired from racing shortly after his famous run and has since pursued a career in neurological medicine. For many years he served as Director of the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases in London. He was knighted by the Queen in 1975, but Sir Roger had long since won the world's acclaim. Sports Illustrated rated Bannister's breakthrough alongside the scaling of Everest as the most significant athletic feat of the 20th century. In this podcast, recorded at the 2000 International Achievement Summit in London, Sir Roger recalls how he set about running the first four-minute mile. He asserts the possibility of transcending other physical barriers, and encourages the Academy's student delegates to adopt good health practices themselves. He discusses his later career as a neurologist and answers questions relating to drug testing for athletes and the nature of personal competition.