The Perfect Mile: Three Athletes, One Goal, And Less Than Four Minutes To Achieve It, Bascomb - B

                  Running four laps, four quarters, in four minutes was long considered beyond man's capability. Some thought death awaited. The story of its pursuit begins in 1952 with Wes Santee of Kansas, John Landy of Australia, and Roger Bannister of England. All were at Helsinki, and none of them took home an an Olympic medal. Bannister was crucified by the tabloids for letting down his country. All three were determined to improve, and the Oxford grad and St. Mary's Hospital medical student began focusing on the mile. By years end though, Landy had run 4:02.1. While Landy trained, Bannister struggled with a med student's schedule, as well as a graduate study for Oxford on the biology of long-distance running. He was unquestionably a scientist-runner, who grasped the physiological issues he was facing. Meanwhile at KU, Santee convinced the Jayhawk coach to let him out of relays so he could focus on the mile. Throughout 1953, the three men ran, trained, went to school and became the number one story in the world of sports.

                 On the morning of May 6, 1954, a dark rainy day, Bannister went to work at St. Mary's in London. At mid-day, he went to Paddington Station and took a train to Oxford. Just before the 6 p.m. start, the race organizers asked Bannister and his pacemakers if they wish to race. Bannister said no, but his colleagues said yes. His splits were 57.5, 1:58, 3:00.4, and he finished with a 3:59.4. He had achieved immortality. Seven weeks later, Landy broke the record.They raced each other in the  Empire Games that summer and both ran under four minutes, with Bannister the winner. Santee was never so fortunate. Today the record is 3:43.13 set in 1999 by Hicham El Guerrouj. Needless to say, races are no longer held on cinder tracks.