Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister

Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister

Sir Roger Gilbert Bannister 1929–, British athlete. On May 6, 1954, at Oxford's Iffley Road track, Bannister, a physician, became the first man to run the mile in less than 4 min, a barrier many experts had long considered unbreakable. His time was 3 min 59.4 sec. Australia's John Landy and New Zealand's Peter Snell bettered the record that year, but in August, Bannister defeated Landy at the British Empire Games in Vancouver, clocking 3:58.8 in a thrilling race. For his accomplishments, he became Sports Illustrated 's first Sportsman of the Year.

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Bannister, Sir Roger Gilbert

Bannister, Sir Roger Gilbert (1929– ) English track and field athlete. On May 6, 1954, Bannister became the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes (3min. 59.4sec). He was knighted in 1975, and in 1995 was appointed chair of a government scheme to introduce sports scholarships.

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"Bannister, Sir Roger Gilbert." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Jun. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

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"Bannister, Sir Roger Gilbert." World Encyclopedia. 2005. Retrieved June 01, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O142-BannisterSirRogerGilbert.html

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Free newspaper and magazine articles

The best of British by a mile.
Newspaper article from: The Mail on Sunday (London, England); 4/11/2004
JOHN'S DREAM MILE.(News)
Newspaper article from: South Wales Echo (Cardiff, Wales); 5/6/2004
Election 2001: NOMINATIONS AROUND THE MIDLANDS
Newspaper article from: Birmingham Evening Mail (England); 5/25/2001

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