The Four Minute Mile
Timothy Stroud
CEO | Non-Profit Founder | Non-Profit Board Member | SAP | Six Sigma Black Belt
If you’re either a runner or a goal setter, you’ve heard of Roger Banniser and how he was the first human to run a mile in recorded history under four minutes. Everyone thought it was physically impossible and no one was able to break either the mental or physical barrier to secure their place in history. Enter in a young man who was born into a normal family and wanted to study medicine in England. Sadly, his family was not able to afford to send him so he set out to earn a scholarship.
His training and hard work paid off and he earned a track scholarship to Oxford University. That’s a pretty good feat and some of the local press picked up his story. He was encouraged to compete in the 1948 Olympics but he felt he wasn’t mentally prepared. After watching other runners at the Olympics, he set a goal to compete in the 1952 Olympics. He came in 4th place and spent the next two months debating on whether he should hang up his running cleats.
Have you ever felt like this? I know I have and it is SO simple to quit when you’ve done your best and come up short of your goal. Roger pushed forward and set another goal to do the impossible. He set a goal to run a mile in less than four minutes. But so did lots of other runners. His main competition were John Landry, a speedster from Australia and Wes Santee of the United States and both of them were just as physically prepared to take the title.
Experts said it could only be done with the right physical AND psychological conditions. Without either one of those, the most talented runner would stay on the positive side of the four minute mark. On May 6, 1954, in Oxford, England, the conditions were not optimal – it rained and it was windy. Roger decided to run anyway and beat Landry and Santee to the finish line.
Watching the video posted below, you’ll see Bannister sprint the last lap and leap across the finish line. He literally dove into history and knew he had broken the barrier before it was announced. Imagine how amazing it would have been just to be in the arena that day to cheer him and the other runners on as they ran four short minutes! Don’t you think that you would be inspired to DO more and BE more if you had witnessed someone do The Impossible?
But the story doesn’t end there…
Rob Bonnet, a BBC sports correspondent interviewed Bannister on the 50th anniversary of his achievement and asked him about the most important achievement in his life. Shockingly, he didn’t boast or brag about something he had secured in history. Instead, he said his work as a neurologist for over 40 years was more significant.
Let that sink in for a moment. In a day and age when people post, tweet, and snapchat about simply going to the gym, an icon in the world of sports humbly shifts the focus to helping others. He could have coached other athletes, stretched his four minutes of fame into a movie career or let others redirect his passion but he kept his goal in focus. He ran so he could study medicine and help others.
Wow. There are several learning points from this amazing story and I hope you share them with other this week. Here are my take-aways:
- Set HUGE goals
- Plan your activity
- Get a coach and be coachable
- Take massive action
- Be humble
- Stay focused and don’t give up!
As for me, I’m gearing up for an amazing month of productivity and hope you can cheer me on!
Video of Roger Bannister breaking the four minute mile barrier