I think it WAS in May 1955, from memory again. Laszlo Tabori won in
3:59.0, Chris Chataway and Brain Hewson ran 3:59.8. At the White City in
London. I was there.
David Dallman
On Mon, 21 May 2001, Uri Goldbourt, PhD wrote:
> Complete nonsense.
>
> After the Bannister-Landy "mile of the century" a954 concluded with a mere
> two runners under 4 minutes (Santee I think ran no faster than 4:00.6) .
>
> There was a race, next, where 3 people ran 3:59 or thereabouts. Laslo Tabori
> was one of them. Chataway may have been one of the two others. I have it all
> documented at home and am writing from memory. I doubt that the race I am
> alluding to took place before May 1955!
>
> Uri Goldbourt
> -----Original Message-----
> From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Malkin
> Sent: Monday, May 21, 2001 4:53 AM
> To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
> Subject: t-and-f: Christian Science Monitor: factual error?
>
>
> Can anyone confirm that 300 runners ran a four minute mile by May 1955, as
> reported by the Christian Science Monitor on Friday (see below)? This must
> be a mistake.
>
> Jesse Malkin
>
> ===
>
> The Christian Science Monitor
> May 18, 2001, Friday
> SECTION: FEATURES; SPORTS; Pg. 12
> HEADLINE: High school star puts glow back in the mile
>
> BYLINE: Joshua S. Burek Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor
>
> Nearly 50 years ago, the four-minute mile stood as an insurmountable
> barrier. It intimidated runners with an icy arithmetic: Could anyone run
> four laps averaging 15 m.p.h.?
>
> The world held its breath as three runners - American Wes Santee,
> Australian John Landy, and Englishman Roger Bannister - mounted assaults on
> the mark. Experts said any athlete who attempted the feat could jeopardize
> his health. Then on a blustery day on May 6, 1954, Oxford University medical
> student Roger Bannister ran 3:59.4 - the "miracle mile," shattering
> conventional wisdom and inaugurating a golden era for track and field.
>
> The floodgates opened. In the next 12 months, no fewer than 300 runners
> broke four minutes. A decade later, American distance-running legend Jim
> Ryun used a superb finishing kick to run 3:59 - in high school. Two other
> teens, Marty Liquori and Tim Danielson, quickly followed. American dominance
> in the marquis middle-distance running events seemed assured.
>
> [Rest of article omitted.]
>
David Dallman
CERN - SIS
