Against the Clock
Sixty years ago, there was one great challenge remaining in world sport: the four-minute mile.
For decades other athletes had come close only to fail to quite crack the four-minute barrier. There were rumours that it was impossible, and doctors and coaches had warned that people might die in the attempt. But three young graduates from Oxford and Cambridge would – in May 1954 – prove them wrong.
Amateurs and proud of it, they all had challenging careers and could only snatch 45 minutes in their lunch hour to train for this epic achievement. And yet they beat off top competition from around the world, including a well-financed team from the United States. When Roger Bannister, paced by Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway, raced across the finishing line in 3:59.4, it was a global media sensation – and a tonic to an austere, post-war Britain.
Based on new interviews with the main runner ‘Against the Clock: Running the 4 Minute Mile’ tells the story of Roger Bannister’s struggle, his team-mates, his opponents and his ultimate victory as the world watched him break the seemingly unattainable 4-minute mile.