Roger Bannister

In 2004 Extra Time's Rob Bonnet spoke to the late Sir Roger Bannister on the same track in Oxford where he first broke the sub-four minute mile record. On May the 6th 1954, 25-year old Roger Bannister set out to break what had seemed an impenetrable barrier in athletics - to run the mile in less than four minutes. For decades, the prevailing thought in the sports community was that the feat was impossible and, even if it were accomplished, it would so overtax the body that death would result. Bannister proved them wrong crossing the finish line in three minutes 59.4 seconds.