The Impossible 4 minute mile Blockage

What happens when someone tells you that you cannot do this task, or maybe it is impossible to get this job done...Do you stop there or do you work hard and break the established pattern and bend the rules.

This is the story of a young and ordinary student who refused to accept the fact that was prevalent since old times and challenged himself to set a new record. This is a story of overcoming an impossible 4 minute mile, the story of Roger Banister.

Born in Harrow, England, Roger Banister then a 25-year-old Oxford University medical student was Britain’s middle-distance runner, but had recently experienced a crushing defeat after finishing fourth in the 1500 metres at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki – a race he had been widely expected to win. The following months saw Bannister toying with the idea of giving up athletics, before he decided to set himself a new goal of becoming the First man to run a mile in under four minutes.

But medical science had a different story to tell. All the doctors and scientists had said that human body is not designed to break the four minute mile in 1 minute. Human body cannot sustain such attempt and collapse to death due to increased blood pressure and heart beat. Yet in spite of all such warnings; Roger Banister to run against all odds and prove his might.

May 6th, 1954,

It was cold, the track was wet, and there were only 3000 people in the the Iffley Road crowd. Bannister had rested for five days before because he’d reached his peak, both physically and psychologically.

Six men entered the race on the big day day. Roger Bannister was there to give his best shot. He knew this was it. The world stood still. It was just him and the track. He was exhausted but, driven by the years of training and his determination, he crossed the finish line and collapsed – exhausted.

The announcement came…

“Ladies and gentlemen, here is the result of event nine, the one mile: first, number forty one, R. G. Bannister, Amateur Athletic Association and formerly of Exeter and Merton Colleges, Oxford, with a time which is a new meeting and track record, and which—subject to ratification—will be a new English Native, British National, All-Comers, European, British Empire and World Record. The time was three…”

The announcement was drowned out by the crowd. Bannister had finished in 3:59 seconds

He’d done it. He’d broken the world record. First man to defy the thesis and researches of medical science.

But the story did not end here, exactly after 30 days Roger Banister created history, John Landy, an Australian athlete ran a mile within just 3 minutes and 57 seconds. Not just this; In the next three years; a total of 15 athletes ran a mile successfully within 4 minutes.

So what changed suddenly; what happened to what something that looked impossible for centuries was achieved in one fine day by an ordinary man and very soon 15 others achieved the same feat in just 3 years???

Well it was a blockage......a mental blockage that restricted to think in the direction of what Roger Banister did. He made a paradigm shift in the minds of athletes and the world saw that it is possible. Roger Banister thus opened the doors for athletes to achieve the impossible.

There are so many other mental blockages that block our path of progress. Something that holds us back without we being realizing it. May the story of Roger Banister prove an inspiration to you and help you overcome your blockages that resist you from achieving your goal.