Oxford student Tom Barrett in front of an image of the historic Sir Roger Bannister running his 4-minute mile

Published

15 Apr 2024

Student blog: Celebrating Sir Roger Bannister's four-minute mile

Tom Barrett is a 1^st Year DPhil student in Earth Sciences at St Anne’s College. To celebrate the 70^th anniversary of Sir Roger Bannister’s four-minute mile at Iffley Road, Tom has helped organised a special event for students, staff, and the local community - the community mile.

“On Monday 6 May, everyone is encouraged to enter this mass participation mile taking place along Oxford’s High Street. Think of it like a London Marathon style event, but through the beautiful streets of Oxford, finishing on Iffley Road at the site where Roger Bannister made history 70 years ago.”

Tom studied for his undergraduate degree at Oxford and has remained here ever since, playing an active part in the University’s Cross Country and Athletics Clubs.

“Finishers of the mile will receive a special medal for taking part, and can then head to the Iffley Road track to spectate international calibre track races, view the pop-up museums and enjoy delicious food and drink. Olympians and Paralympians will be tackling the mile distance over the course of the afternoon, and they need as much support as possible! This is the first time an event like this has taken place in Oxford, and we hope it will set the example for many years to come.”

Formerly Iffley Festival of Miles, the event has taken place in recent years with involvement from students within the Cross Country and Athletics Clubs. This year’s event recognises Sir Roger Bannister’s momentous achievement, voted the greatest sporting achievement of the 20^th century, and as such has grown into one of the largest athletics events in the UK.

“The event has already been featured widely in the news, including by the BBC. I’m really looking forward to it, and hope to see a great turn out from all of Oxford’s community.”

Sign up for the community mile.

Bannister Miles logo