Flying Miler

The four-minute mile is an elusive phantom that middle-distance runners have been closely pursuing since Paavo Nurmi set his mark of 4:10.4 in 1923. Some track coaches insist that it is a physical impossibility; others, pointing to the 1945 world record of 4:01.4 set by Sweden's Gunder Haegg, say it will be done eventually. Last week at the Penn Relays, some 40,000 roaring fans at Franklin Field caught a fleeting glimpse of a runner who may be the first to make it a reality. The man: Britain's 22-year-old Roger Bannister, a skinny (6 ft. 2 in., 154 Ibs.) Oxford.University student who became a runner because he was too light to be a crew man.

Like New Zealand's Jack Lovelock, Miler Bannister looks more like a bookworn medical student (which he is) than a crack athlete. Bannister was a flop at cross-country, but the first time he tried the mile he turned in a creditable 4:30. A fortnight ago, as a warmup for his second U.S. showing (the first: as a 1949 member of the combined Oxford-Cambridge squad), he reeled off a whippet-fast three-quarters in 2:56.8, just missing (by .2 sec.) the world's fastest three-quarters, run by Sweden's Arne Andersson.

When Bannister stepped on to the track last week against Don Gehrmann and Fred Wilt, the best of the U.S. milers, conditions were far from ideal for a fast race. The new quarter-mile track had been churned up by some 3,000 pounding runners, a gusty wind was blowing, and any time under 4:10 seemed highly unlikely. For the first half mile Bannister was content to stay with the pack (paced at a stodgy 2:06.2 by Stewart Ray). But before the four runners hit the three-quarter mark, Bannister, clearly impatient with the pace, lengthened his rangy stride and spurted to the lead.

He never stopped sprinting. His whirlwind 56.7 final quarter, run with a graceful, almost lazy style, was the most dazzling burst ever seen in the 57-year history of the Penn Relays. It completely beat down Wilt and an off-form Gehrmann, and wiped out Glenn Cunningham's 17-year-old Penn Relay record by 3.5 sec. Bannister's time: 4:08.3.

Though Bannister had run his fastest mile ever, had thoroughly whipped the best in the U.S., he was still not satisfied with his showing. Said he, with an apologetic grin: "I was rather expecting Ray to set a faster pace, but when he didn't, I had to go out and do it by myself." Then, with refreshing candor, Bannister added: "Had I been pressed ... I would have simply accelerated ... I think I could have done 4:05."

Other Penn Relay winners (and good bets for the 1952 Olympics): P: Seton Hall's Andy Stanfield, the broad jump (with a record leap of 25 ft. 4 1/2 in.) and the 100-yd. dash (time: 9.8).

P: West Point's Dick Shea, the two-mile run in 9:11.9, beating Greg Rice's meet mark by .3 sec.

P: Cornell's Charley Moore, the 400-meter hurdles (for the third year) and a quarter-share in Cornell's record-breaking mile relay (time: 3:13.1) and shuttle relay.

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