Breaking Barriers: The Four-Minute Mile

The first impossible-possible story that helped inspire this project, and so many of Professor Wilson’s students, was the story of the four-minute mile.  

Some of you may already be familiar with the story of Roger Bannister. Rightfully so, as he has become iconic for being the first to break the 4-minute barrier. His record-breaking mile in 1954 challenged people’s beliefs of the impossible.   

Breaking the four minute mile barrier was thought to be physically impossible, with runners discouraged from trying for fear it would cause irreparable damage to the body. 

Roger Bannister, a gifted runner, became an icon of success and an example of making the impossible possible when he became the first person to run a four-minute mile, in unfavourable conditions on a grey, windy day in May 1954.  

Bannister showed a talent for running from a young age, eventually deciding to become a runner at the time he was attending the University of Oxford and St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School. In Britain, Bannister was already a champion runner, winning the mile run in 1951 and 1953.  

Bannister’s remarkable accomplishment of the seemingly impossible is a lasting reminder that what may seem psychological and physically impossible can be turned into possible with hard work and perseverance. Having the right mindset before you set out to achieve tasks that seem daunting and impossible is half the battle. Roger had to train like he never had before, researching the mechanics of running and developing his own scientific methods for training. 

Not long after Bannister broke the sub-four-minute mile barrier did we see more runners do the same extraordinary effort, further pushing the limits of athleticism. The four-minute mile is no longer seen as unattainable but remains the mark of a skilled distance runner. 

Roger Bannister’s legacy has left an important lesson about human achievement and what it takes to go beyond the limitations of your own mind and the ones that society creates.  

Society may have limited their thinking and belief in what was possible for the human body, but Bannister did not limit himself. 

Not only has his success encouraged students to believe in the impossible becoming possible, but it has inspired many athletes to push their own boundaries as well. That is because it is a story of grit and perseverance. It is a story of believing in yourself despite what society tells you is possible. It is a story of making the impossible possible. 

Did you find this story inspirational? Watch the YouTube video about it now!