Who was the first athlete to complete the sub-4-minute mile in track and field history?
The first athlete to achieve the remarkable feat of running a sub-4-minute mile in track and field history was Sir Roger Bannister. On May 6, 1954, at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford, England, Bannister accomplished this extraordinary milestone. Aided by his friends Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway, he completed the mile in an astonishing 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds. The crowd’s cheers drowned out the exact time as the announcer, Norris McWhirter, declared, "The time was three…"12.
Bannister’s achievement was even more remarkable because he had minimal training while practicing as a junior doctor. His record lasted for just 46 days, but it left an indelible mark on the world of athletics. Beyond his athletic prowess, Bannister went on to become a neurologist and served as the Master of Pembroke College, Oxford. When asked about his proudest achievement, he expressed greater pride in his contribution to academic medicine through research into the responses of the nervous system2. Sir Roger Bannister’s legacy as the first sub-4-minute miler continues to inspire athletes worldwide.
