10 May 07

Lord Coe, Chairman of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games, has opened a newly refurbished running track at Oxford University's Iffley Road sports complex.

Located at the same site where the young Roger Bannister famously ran the first sub-four minute mile, the track now bears Sir Roger's name.

The Vice-Chancellor, Dr John Hood welcomed the guests and spoke of the University's commitment to providing top-class facilities for its students as well as the local community.

After the naming ceremony Lord Coe and Sir Roger witnessed one-mile races by current Oxford students who were competing for places on this year's varsity competition with Cambridge.

The track, last refurbished nearly 20 years ago, needed resurfacing to increase its force reduction, or cushioning effect, which had been worn away over time. The resurfaced track has now been awarded UK Athletics certification to hold meetings and be eligible for record attempts.

Sir Roger said: 'In 1880 the Oxford Student Athletics President convened the meeting organising the first athletics governing body in Britain and wrote its rules. In the same year the first cinder track was built here. In 1948, when I myself was the undergraduate President, I was responsible for building the first 440 yard cinder track and this place brings back memories of so many great friends. I cannot but feel gratitude that my name will be linked in perpetuity with this track.'

Lord Coe added: 'Sir Roger's achievement was a truly historic moment in track and field history to become the first man to run the mile in less than four minutes. It is fitting that the track at Iffley Road where Roger set this momentous record should be re-named in his honour. I hope that many other records will be set at this newly refurbished track and that some young athletes that run here will go on to compete in the London 2012 Games.'

The original running track goes back to 1880, when it was a grass track and comprised three laps to the mile. In 1948, Roger Bannister, then a 19-year-old student at Exeter College, was elected President of Oxford University's Athletic Club. He made it a prime aim of his presidency to replace the bumpy, uneven track with a new six-lane 440-yard track. Two years later, a new track conforming to international specifications was opened. Since then it has been modernised on several occasions. In 1989, the old cinders were replaced by a synthetic surface and the track was relaid to conform with today's metric specifications.