Athletics News

Coffee with Larry, May 6, 2024, Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the first sub-4 minute mile!

Coffee with Larry, May 6, 2024, Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the first sub-4 minute mile!

This is my daily chat with #RunBlogRun viewers and track fans on all things track & field!

This is Coffee with Larry for Saturday, May 4, 2024.
#CoffeewithLarry is sponsored by #JAMBAR, the Original Organic Artisan Sports Energy Bar. Jenny Maxwell founded JAMBAR in 2021 after three years of development. JAMBAR is made in small patches with organic ingredients from Northern California.

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JAMBAR is the Original Organic Artisan Sports Energy Bar, www.jambar.com, CODE Larry 15!

I like the taste of JAMBAR and found them at the Running Event. Jenny Maxwell and her team came on as a sponsor of CWL.

Please support CWL by buying JAMBAR. Go to www.jambar.com and use Code LARRY15!

Thanks #EATJAMBAR!

Our topics:

1. Today is the 70th anniversary of the first sub-four-minute mile run on May 6, 1954.

2. The race was the AAA Mile at Iffley Road Sports Track at 6 PM local time. The conditions were windy and cold, and Roger Bannister later recalled them as “terrible.”

3. Chris Brasher paced the mile through 440 in 58.2 and 880 in 1:58.2. Chris Chataway took over at 1100 and led through 1,320 in 3:00.5. Chataway continued to lead until 250 yards when Bannister charged to the front and pushed himself. In an article on the #GuinessWorldrecords site, Roger Bannister noted that he had such strength over the last stretch, finishing in 3:59.4.

4. The vocal crowd roared, drowning out Norris McWhitter’s announcement of the first sub-four-minute mile.

5. Even in the rough conditions, Sir Roger Bannister (given MBE in 1975) noted he had to race, as Wes Santee in the US and John Landy in Australia were very close to his standard.

6. Landy would break Bannister’s WR three weeks later. Later in the summer, Bannister would pass Landy with 300 yards to go in the “Mile of the Century.” After the Empire Games, Bannister would win the 1,500m at the European Champs and then retire.

7. Here’s Jeff Benjamin’s story on meeting Sir Roger Bannister,
https://www.runblogrun.com/2019/01/my-quest-for-sir-roger-bannister.html

See you tomorrow on Coffee with Larry !

CLICK HERE to Read the Full Original Article at runblogrun…