Sir Roger Bannister, the first athlete to run a sub-four minute mile, has died aged 88 in Oxford, his family have said.
A statement released on behalf of Sir Roger's family said: 'Sir Roger Bannister died peacefully in Oxford on 3rd March 2018, aged 88, surrounded by his family who were as loved by him, as he was loved by them.
'He banked his treasure in the hearts of his friends.'
He broke the four-minute mile record on May 6, 1954 at Iffley Road Track in Oxford.
'He banked his treasure in the hearts of his friends': Moving tribute to Sir Roger Bannister as he dies, 88, surrounded by his family 'who were as loved by him, as he was loved by them'
Sir Roger Bannister broke record on May 6, 1954 at Iffley Road Track in Oxford
His family said in a statement: 'He banked his treasure in the hearts of his friends'
In 2014, the neurologist revealed that he was suffering from Parkinson's disease
By Iain Burns For Mailonline
4 March 2018
He broke the record on May 6, 1954 at Iffley Road Track in Oxford (pictured)
Sir Roger Bannister, the first athlete to run a sub-four minute mile, has died aged 88 in Oxford, his family have said.
A statement released on behalf of Sir Roger's family said: 'Sir Roger Bannister died peacefully in Oxford on 3rd March 2018, aged 88, surrounded by his family who were as loved by him, as he was loved by them.
'He banked his treasure in the hearts of his friends.'
He broke the four-minute mile record on May 6, 1954 at Iffley Road Track in Oxford.
His exact time was 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds, having been aided by pacemakers Sir Christopher Chataway and Chris Brasher.
It was an achievement many people thought was humanly impossible.
'It had become rather like Everest, a challenge for the human spirit,' he wrote of the achievement.
About 3,000 people watched as he pulled off the feat, despite worries beforehand over the windy weather.
He went on to win the Commonwealth and European Championship gold medal that year.
His record, however, only lasted 46 days after Australian John Landy surpassed it with a time of 3:57.9.
In the buildup to the London Olympics in 2012, he carried the Olympic torch around the same track where he broke the record
Aided by Sir Christopher Chataway (right) and Chris Brasher as pacemakers, Sir Roger managed a sub-four-minute mile in 1954
Sir Roger Bannister with his sons Clive and Thurstan, his wife Moyra and his daughter Erin during an Investiture Ceremony at Buckingham Palace
But his achievement was all the more remarkable because he had minimal training and was practising as a junior doctor at the time.
Lord Coe, who followed in Bannister footstep's by breaking the mile world record in 1981, paid tribute to the inspirational man.
The president of athletics governing body said on Twitter: 'This is a day of intense sadness both for our nation and for all of us in athletics. There is not a single athlete of my generation who was not inspired by Roger and his achievements both on and off the track.'
In response to the announcement, British Athletics tweeted: 'All at British Athletics are incredibly saddened by the passing of Sir Roger at the age of 88.
'A legend in every sense of the word.'
Prime Minister Theresa May, meanwhile, wrote: 'Sir Roger was a great British sporting icon whose achievements were an inspiration to us all. He will be greatly missed.'
The London Marathon posted on Twitter: 'For some the word legend doesn't quite cut it. Rest in peace Sir Roger Bannister.'
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Prime Minister Theresa May, meanwhile, wrote: 'Sir Roger was a great British sporting icon whose achievements were an inspiration to us all. He will be greatly missed'
In response to the announcement, British Athletics tweeted: 'All at British Athletics are incredibly saddened by the passing of Sir Roger at the age of 88'
British long-distance runner Jo Pavey, a former European champion over 10,000 metres, said Bannister's feat 'showed that barriers could be broken'.
She said on Sky News: 'He's such a great example to all the athletes coming through. He was such a gentleman, so able to give encouragement to all the generations of athletes coming through and he'll be so sorely missed. He's left such an amazing legacy in our sport, he was a true hero.'
In the buildup to the London Olympics in 2012, he carried the Olympic torch around the same track where he broke the record.
In 2014, he revealed he was suffering from Parkinson's disease.
Sir Roger, who went on to have a distinguished career as a neurologist, said he had been diagnosed with the condition in 2011 but had refrained from speaking publicly about it.
About 3,000 people watched as he pulled off the feat, despite worries beforehand over the windy weather. Pictured: Sir Roger in 1954
His work as a neurologist led to a greater understanding of degenerative disease and disorders of the autonomic nervous system.
Decades of neurological training, clinical work and research at the National Hospital and St Mary's Hospital in London made him an expert on Parkinson's many years before he was diagnosed.
He said: 'I am having troubles with walking. Ironically it is a neurological disorder - Parkinson's.
'There's a gentle irony to it. I have seen and looked after patients with so many neurological and other disorders that I am not surprised I have acquired an illness. It's in the nature of things.
'I am being well looked after and I don't intend to let it interfere - as much as I can.'
In an interview with the Guardian in 2004, Sir Roger said: 'I had always wanted to become a neurologist, which is one of the most demanding vocations in medicine.
'Where do you stop, after all, with the brain? How does it function? What are its limits? The work seems unending.'
Sir Roger added: 'I know quite a lot about [Parkinson's] and have treated a lot of people with it.
'I am aware of all the research that's been done. I think it will take some time before there is a breakthrough. But the management and drug treatments are improving all the time.'
The current mile record was set by Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj, who set a time of 3:43.13 in Rome on July 7, 1999.
How Sir Roger made history in 1954
The enduring image of the lanky Oxford medical student - head tilted back, eyes closed and mouth agape as he strained across the finishing tape - captured the public's imagination, made him a global celebrity and lifted the spirits of Britons still suffering through postwar austerity.
'It became a symbol of attempting a challenge in the physical world of something hitherto thought impossible,' Bannister said as he approached the 50th anniversary of the feat. 'I'd like to see it as a metaphor not only for sport, but for life and seeking challenges.'
He might not have set the milestone but for the disappointment of finishing without a medal in the 1,500 metres, known as the metric mile, in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Instead of retiring from the sport, he decided to chase the 4-minute mark.
Swedish runner Gundar Haegg's mile time of 4:01.4 had stood for nine years, but in 1954 Bannister, Australian rival John Landy and others were threatening to break it.
After Bannister crossed the finish line, the announcer read out the time: '3...' The rest was drowned out by the roar of the crowd. Pictured: The moment Bannister crossed the finish line
'As it became clear that somebody was going to do it, I felt that I would prefer it to be me,' Bannister told the AP.
He also wanted to deliver something special for his country.
'I thought it would be right for Britain to try to get this,' Bannister said. 'There was a feeling of patriotism. Our new queen had been crowned the year before, Everest had been climbed in 1953. Although I tried in 1953, I broke the British record, but not the 4-minute mile, and so everything was ready in 1954.'
His chance finally came on a wet, cool, blustery May afternoon during a meet between Oxford and the Amateur Athletic Association.
When Bannister looked up at the English flag whipping in the wind atop a nearby church, he feared he would have to call off the record attempt. But, shortly before 6 p.m., the wind died down. The race was on.
Pictured: Sir Roger running on the track
With Chris Brasher setting the pace on the cinder track, they ran a first lap in 57.5 seconds, then 60.7 - 1:58.2 for the half mile. Chris Chataway, a distance specialist, paced a third lap of 62.3 - 3:00.4. Bannister would need to run the final lap in 59 seconds.
With 250 yards to go, Bannister surged past Chataway, his long arms and legs pumping and his lungs gasping for oxygen.
'The world seemed to stand still, or did not exist,' he wrote in his book, 'The First Four Minutes.'
'The only reality was the next 200 yards of track under my feet. The tape meant finality - extinction perhaps. I felt at that moment that it was my chance to do one thing supremely well. I drove on, impelled by a combination of fear and pride.'
After Bannister crossed the finish line, the announcer read out the time: '3...' The rest was drowned out by the roar of the crowd.
The record lasted just 46 days, as Landy ran 3:57.9 in Turku, Finland, on June 21, 1954. That set the stage for the showdown between Bannister and Landy at the Empire Games, now called the Commonwealth Games, in Vancouver, British Columbia on Aug. 9, 1954.
Landy set a fast pace, leading by as much as 15 yards before Bannister caught up as the bell rang for the final lap.
'Around the last bend, I think the crowd was making so much noise he couldn't hear whether I was behind, or whether he'd dropped me, and he looked over his left shoulder, and I passed him on his right shoulder,' Bannister said.
Read more: Sir Roger Bannister dies aged 88 in Oxford* | Daily Mail Online
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A statement released on behalf of Sir Roger's family said: 'Sir Roger Bannister died peacefully in Oxford on 3rd March 2018, aged 88, surrounded by his family who were as loved by him, as he was loved by them.
'He banked his treasure in the hearts of his friends.'
He broke the four-minute mile record on May 6, 1954 at Iffley Road Track in Oxford.
'He banked his treasure in the hearts of his friends': Moving tribute to Sir Roger Bannister as he dies, 88, surrounded by his family 'who were as loved by him, as he was loved by them'
Sir Roger Bannister broke record on May 6, 1954 at Iffley Road Track in Oxford
His family said in a statement: 'He banked his treasure in the hearts of his friends'
In 2014, the neurologist revealed that he was suffering from Parkinson's disease
By Iain Burns For Mailonline
4 March 2018
He broke the record on May 6, 1954 at Iffley Road Track in Oxford (pictured)
Sir Roger Bannister, the first athlete to run a sub-four minute mile, has died aged 88 in Oxford, his family have said.
A statement released on behalf of Sir Roger's family said: 'Sir Roger Bannister died peacefully in Oxford on 3rd March 2018, aged 88, surrounded by his family who were as loved by him, as he was loved by them.
'He banked his treasure in the hearts of his friends.'
He broke the four-minute mile record on May 6, 1954 at Iffley Road Track in Oxford.
His exact time was 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds, having been aided by pacemakers Sir Christopher Chataway and Chris Brasher.
It was an achievement many people thought was humanly impossible.
'It had become rather like Everest, a challenge for the human spirit,' he wrote of the achievement.
About 3,000 people watched as he pulled off the feat, despite worries beforehand over the windy weather.
He went on to win the Commonwealth and European Championship gold medal that year.
His record, however, only lasted 46 days after Australian John Landy surpassed it with a time of 3:57.9.
In the buildup to the London Olympics in 2012, he carried the Olympic torch around the same track where he broke the record
Aided by Sir Christopher Chataway (right) and Chris Brasher as pacemakers, Sir Roger managed a sub-four-minute mile in 1954
Sir Roger Bannister with his sons Clive and Thurstan, his wife Moyra and his daughter Erin during an Investiture Ceremony at Buckingham Palace
But his achievement was all the more remarkable because he had minimal training and was practising as a junior doctor at the time.
Lord Coe, who followed in Bannister footstep's by breaking the mile world record in 1981, paid tribute to the inspirational man.
The president of athletics governing body said on Twitter: 'This is a day of intense sadness both for our nation and for all of us in athletics. There is not a single athlete of my generation who was not inspired by Roger and his achievements both on and off the track.'
In response to the announcement, British Athletics tweeted: 'All at British Athletics are incredibly saddened by the passing of Sir Roger at the age of 88.
'A legend in every sense of the word.'
Prime Minister Theresa May, meanwhile, wrote: 'Sir Roger was a great British sporting icon whose achievements were an inspiration to us all. He will be greatly missed.'
The London Marathon posted on Twitter: 'For some the word legend doesn't quite cut it. Rest in peace Sir Roger Bannister.'
Prime Minister Theresa May, meanwhile, wrote: 'Sir Roger was a great British sporting icon whose achievements were an inspiration to us all. He will be greatly missed'
In response to the announcement, British Athletics tweeted: 'All at British Athletics are incredibly saddened by the passing of Sir Roger at the age of 88'
British long-distance runner Jo Pavey, a former European champion over 10,000 metres, said Bannister's feat 'showed that barriers could be broken'.
She said on Sky News: 'He's such a great example to all the athletes coming through. He was such a gentleman, so able to give encouragement to all the generations of athletes coming through and he'll be so sorely missed. He's left such an amazing legacy in our sport, he was a true hero.'
In the buildup to the London Olympics in 2012, he carried the Olympic torch around the same track where he broke the record.
In 2014, he revealed he was suffering from Parkinson's disease.
Sir Roger, who went on to have a distinguished career as a neurologist, said he had been diagnosed with the condition in 2011 but had refrained from speaking publicly about it.
About 3,000 people watched as he pulled off the feat, despite worries beforehand over the windy weather. Pictured: Sir Roger in 1954
His work as a neurologist led to a greater understanding of degenerative disease and disorders of the autonomic nervous system.
Decades of neurological training, clinical work and research at the National Hospital and St Mary's Hospital in London made him an expert on Parkinson's many years before he was diagnosed.
He said: 'I am having troubles with walking. Ironically it is a neurological disorder - Parkinson's.
'There's a gentle irony to it. I have seen and looked after patients with so many neurological and other disorders that I am not surprised I have acquired an illness. It's in the nature of things.
'I am being well looked after and I don't intend to let it interfere - as much as I can.'
In an interview with the Guardian in 2004, Sir Roger said: 'I had always wanted to become a neurologist, which is one of the most demanding vocations in medicine.
'Where do you stop, after all, with the brain? How does it function? What are its limits? The work seems unending.'
Sir Roger added: 'I know quite a lot about [Parkinson's] and have treated a lot of people with it.
'I am aware of all the research that's been done. I think it will take some time before there is a breakthrough. But the management and drug treatments are improving all the time.'
The current mile record was set by Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj, who set a time of 3:43.13 in Rome on July 7, 1999.
How Sir Roger made history in 1954
The enduring image of the lanky Oxford medical student - head tilted back, eyes closed and mouth agape as he strained across the finishing tape - captured the public's imagination, made him a global celebrity and lifted the spirits of Britons still suffering through postwar austerity.
'It became a symbol of attempting a challenge in the physical world of something hitherto thought impossible,' Bannister said as he approached the 50th anniversary of the feat. 'I'd like to see it as a metaphor not only for sport, but for life and seeking challenges.'
He might not have set the milestone but for the disappointment of finishing without a medal in the 1,500 metres, known as the metric mile, in the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki. Instead of retiring from the sport, he decided to chase the 4-minute mark.
Swedish runner Gundar Haegg's mile time of 4:01.4 had stood for nine years, but in 1954 Bannister, Australian rival John Landy and others were threatening to break it.
After Bannister crossed the finish line, the announcer read out the time: '3...' The rest was drowned out by the roar of the crowd. Pictured: The moment Bannister crossed the finish line
'As it became clear that somebody was going to do it, I felt that I would prefer it to be me,' Bannister told the AP.
He also wanted to deliver something special for his country.
'I thought it would be right for Britain to try to get this,' Bannister said. 'There was a feeling of patriotism. Our new queen had been crowned the year before, Everest had been climbed in 1953. Although I tried in 1953, I broke the British record, but not the 4-minute mile, and so everything was ready in 1954.'
His chance finally came on a wet, cool, blustery May afternoon during a meet between Oxford and the Amateur Athletic Association.
When Bannister looked up at the English flag whipping in the wind atop a nearby church, he feared he would have to call off the record attempt. But, shortly before 6 p.m., the wind died down. The race was on.
Pictured: Sir Roger running on the track
With Chris Brasher setting the pace on the cinder track, they ran a first lap in 57.5 seconds, then 60.7 - 1:58.2 for the half mile. Chris Chataway, a distance specialist, paced a third lap of 62.3 - 3:00.4. Bannister would need to run the final lap in 59 seconds.
With 250 yards to go, Bannister surged past Chataway, his long arms and legs pumping and his lungs gasping for oxygen.
'The world seemed to stand still, or did not exist,' he wrote in his book, 'The First Four Minutes.'
'The only reality was the next 200 yards of track under my feet. The tape meant finality - extinction perhaps. I felt at that moment that it was my chance to do one thing supremely well. I drove on, impelled by a combination of fear and pride.'
After Bannister crossed the finish line, the announcer read out the time: '3...' The rest was drowned out by the roar of the crowd.
The record lasted just 46 days, as Landy ran 3:57.9 in Turku, Finland, on June 21, 1954. That set the stage for the showdown between Bannister and Landy at the Empire Games, now called the Commonwealth Games, in Vancouver, British Columbia on Aug. 9, 1954.
Landy set a fast pace, leading by as much as 15 yards before Bannister caught up as the bell rang for the final lap.
'Around the last bend, I think the crowd was making so much noise he couldn't hear whether I was behind, or whether he'd dropped me, and he looked over his left shoulder, and I passed him on his right shoulder,' Bannister said.
Read more: Sir Roger Bannister dies aged 88 in Oxford* | Daily Mail Online
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