Bannister: Everest on the Track to be shown as part of event’s 60th anniversary celebrations for the first sub-four-minute mile

The world premiere of a new documentary about Roger Bannister s first sub-four-minute mile is to form part of the 60th anniversary celebrations at the Bupa Westminster Mile on May 24.

Created by US filmmakers Tom Ratcliffe, a former international marathon runner and TV analyst, and Jeremy Mosher, a television producer and university runner, the film will be shown on a big screen in Green Park, while you can watch a preview below.

Sixty years ago, wartime rationing was still in place, morale was low and Britain was struggling to emerge from the darkness of the war years,” said Ratcliffe.

Then in 1953 came the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II on the same morning as the news broke that Edmund Hillary had conquered Everest. Against this backdrop, a young Oxford medical student made plans to become the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes, a feat long assumed to be physically impossible.

Our film, Bannister: Everest on the Track, explores this extraordinary moment in history. Aided by a unique team, Bannister led the way into a new era in athletic achievement, at a time when his country needed it most.”

Bupa Westminster Mile races will begin at 9.30am on Saturday May 24. More details on the event can be found here.

The seventh edition of the Bupa London 10,000 takes place on the following day and is set to feature Mo Farah as he targets his sixth consecutive title.

The May 1 issue of AW was a sub-four special featuring an interview with Roger Bannister as well as profiles on every athlete to have broken the mile world record, from Walter George to Hicham El Guerrouj. It is available here or digitally here.

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