For those of you who can't read enough about Roger Bannister's historic sub-4 minute mile, which took place 50-years ago Thurdsay, May 6, here are links to some stories that have appeared recently or will appear on TV.
The ESPN Classic special "The Barrier Breakers" airs Thursday on ESPN Classic at 8, 9, 10 and 11 p.m. ET.
"On the 50th anniversary of Roger Bannister's running the first sub-four-minute mile, producer Bud Greenspan profiles the English runner as well as two other individuals who broke barriers many believed to be unachievable.The other two are Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to swim the English Channel, and Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb Mt. Everest."
EVENTS IN PA AND NY
Some states are honoring native sons who have broken 4-minutes for the mile.
From David Gingras:
"Thursday there is a big Gala at Haverford College honoring the 33 runners from the Philadelphia Area who ran sub 4 minute miles. It will include Mile sections for everything from youngsters to some very senior Masters (85+). It will also feature an Elite Race. Several Kenyans train nearby in Valley Forge and are expected to compete. Marcus O'Sullivan and Tom Donnelly are hosting it."
And Ian Brooks is honoring "Sir Roger" by putting on series of mile races in a special "Thursday Night at the Races" at NY City's Armory (7pm).
ARTICLES
Tracking a Landmark in the Philadelphia Inquirer - thoughts from Marcus O'Sullivan
Pete Cava recalls the magic day
Rudy Chapa--The First Hoosier under 4-minutes Runner's World Online has more links and interviews with Neal Bascomb, the author of "The Perfect Mile", the story of the race between Bannister, John Landy, and Wes Santee to become the first under 4, and George Dole, the Yale grad who was the only American in Bannister's race. (Scroll down to "A Brief Chat With")
Veteran track writer Pat Butcher has a much different take on Bannister's historic run:
"Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute mile has been hailed as the defining moment in British sporting history. It has become such an iconic event that the 50th anniversary on Thursday is being celebrated with the sort of reverence previously reserved for royal occasions. Yet Bannister's run is one of the worst things that ever happened to athletics. Far from being an admirable feat, it was cosy, conniving and dishonest. Its seminal contribution to sport has been to ruin middle-distance running worldwide."
Chicago Tribune (Registration required)
Frank Deford-Sports Illustrated
Stephen Wilson--The Canadian Press
Legend's rounded life gives perspective to first four-minute mile
Bannister not the First?--Peter Radford, The Guardian
The IAAF Front Page--Lamine Diack, John Landy, Chris Turner's Personal Connection
Dick Patrick/USA Today--Hope For U.S. Milers?
John Crumpacker--San Francisco Chronicle (Don Bowden, Craig Masback)
Karen Rosen/Atlanta Journal(registration required) (Dick Buerkle, Marty Liquori)