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Each our own sub 4:00 minute mile. 

On May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister did the “impossible” by running a mile on the Iffley Road track at Oxford University in 3:59.4, becoming the first person to run a mile in less than four minutes, something that many believed was physically impossible.  Sports Illustrated named it the 20th century’s greatest sporting achievement.  

However, since Bannister performed his feat in 1954, more than 1,400 other runners, including 542 U.S. runners, have done the same. The world record is now 3:43.13 and was run by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999.  No woman has crashed the barrier yet. The current record of 4:12.13 was just set (still subject to ratification) July 12, 2019 by Sifan Hassan. The American records are 3:46.91 (Alan Webb) and 4:16.21 (Mary Slaney).

Clearly, the barrier was more mental than physical. 

On Aug. 10, 2019, Gulf Winds Track Club will produce the 22nd edition of the Breakfast on The Track Mile. 

Felton and Bonnie Wright, the creators of this event, will direct the race(s)again.  And while it is very unlikely a sub four-minute mile will be run, there will be many runners trying to break their own version of the four-minute mile. For some, that means finding the courage just to run a race that short on a track with nowhere to hide. Others will be chasing the meet records of 4:21.47 (Ryan Deak) and 5:00.97 (Stefanie Kurgatt), others will be after their own personal bests, and still others will simply be looking to produce a good effort over a short, but difficult distance.

Last year 186 runners were divided into 10 heats.  Runners placed themselves into heats based on their expected finish time.  

Running the mile well requires thoughtful execution, unless you plan just to follow someone. First there is the technical issue (which you could ignore) that four laps around most tracks equals 1600 meters which is approximately 9.3 meters less than a mile. So, race directors often start runners 9.3 meters behind the starting line or extend the last lap by a similar amount. 

The more important issue for racing is determining a racing strategy. It is perfectly fine to decide your goal is to run four easy laps and head for the pancake grill. But you will be missing the essence of the mile.

Finding the line where you don’t run out of gas too soon or finish with extra gas left is hard. In the prologue to “The Perfect Mile,” author Neal Bascomb sets up the difficulty of Bannister’s task by quoting from Rudyard Kipling (“IF”) to describe the Perfect Mile:

In his barrier breaking effort Bannister had the critical help of two pacers to lead him around the cinder track. Throughout the day swirling winds and occasional rain left Bannister and his pacers extremely close to calling off his attempt at the sub four-minute mile. In fact, 15 minutes before the start time they voted to call off the effort. It was not until just a few minutes before the race was scheduled to start that Bannister and his team saw the flag behind the church go limp and decided the race for the first sub four-minute mile was a go.

Bannister had taken five days off from running to rest. The starting gun set a wild animal free from its cage and barked at it to run as fast as possible. Convinced he was running too slowly, Bannister began yelling to his lead pacer to speed up. The lead pacer, Chris Brasher, was not so caught up in the rush of the battle and kept close to the intended pace – 28 seconds as they hit 220 and 57.5 after a quarter mile.

They maintained almost that same pace for the next 220 yards and reached the half at 1:58. There was no margin for error at this point. Brasher’s job was to get Bannister and Chataway (pacer number 2) though the two and half lap mark.   As the group ran toward the two- and a half-lap point, Brasher was fading and Bannister called Chataway to the front. At two and a half laps Chataway led Bannister through the two and a half lap point in a nerve-racking 2:29.   

Lap one is often run too fast, but lap three is where fast times often die. Sometimes it is lack of concentration and sometimes it is a lack of will power. And sure enough, as the two runners finished up lap three, they were just off the pace needed at 3:00.4, but well within the grasp of the much-wanted sub four-minute mile.

Chataway drove on another half lap with his only goal being to keep Banister on pace as long as possible. Finally, as he approached the 230 yards to go mark Bannister blew past his slowing teammate and began the tortuous journey down the final stretch. 

Bascom’s account of the finish is well worth the read (and the book).  In part:

“Bannister was beyond tired. At fifty yards from the finish he had exhausted himself completely. There was no pain. He was simply used up. Yet he forced himself ahead, drawing deep upon a reservoir of will only few ever discover. Twenty-five yards, ten Yards, five yards … One stride. Keep going. He flung himself at the tape, a tortured yet glorious expression of abandon on his face.

His legs buckled after he crossed the finish line and the pain roared into his body. He very nearly lost consciousness.  Any less effort would have left the first sub four-minute mile for another day and another race as Bannister’s finish time of 3:59.4 smashed the barrier, but left no room for hesitation.” 

So, now that you understand how to run a mile, come on out to the Maclay School track on Saturday, Aug.10. There will be pancakes and more for breakfast.  There will also be a 4×400 relay race after the mile heats are done. You can register online at https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/Tallahassee/BreakfastontheTrack?remMeAttempt= or go to www.gulfwinds.org and click on the calendar. Racing begins at 7:45 on Saturday Aug. 10.

David Yon is addicted to running. In his spare time, he is an attorney with the Radey Law Firm.

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