that chris brasher would run a half mile and then chris chataway would take over and he'd go on as longall about pacing. and as far as the preparation was concerned, on the day, i mean, when you look at how professional athletes get themselves ready now for major championships, with all due respect, your preparations were pretty... primitive, weren't they? i went in to the medical school. i couldn't, i didn't feel much like doing much work, the library or whatever, so i sharpened up my spikes, because we ran on very loose cinder. 0n cinder — nothing like what we have here now. i think they think the cinders were about... he ran on both about four seconds slower. so there we are. and rubbed a bit of graphite on the spikes so they would come in and out neatly, without collecting cinder and ash. this was your medical school down in london, wasn't it? yes, st marys medical school. and then got a train, and as it happened, i hadn't said when i was going, and actually, franz stampfl, who, of course, was coach first of all to chris brasher, then to chris chataway and then ijoined the trio, so.

the son of chris brasher has been paying tribute.achieved cannot be achieved because of the fact the sport has become so professional. sir roger pozner legacy is a lifetime thing. it is timeless. to be the first man to run under four minutes for the mile, be the first man to run under four minutes forthe mile, it be the first man to run under four minutes for the mile, it is is difficult for us 64 years later to maybe understand at the time how important it was. this was britain coming out of a war with rationing. he lifted the nation. he did what was seen to be physiologically impossible. people have tried for years to break this magical barrier will stop could someone run under four minutes for a mile? he did it. what he also did in his life outside running in medicine, he had lots of humility. he became head of the council which was sporting england. this is the end of an era. together with chataway and brasher, the three of them, what they achieved in sport was amazing. what they then went and achieved outside of sport, i don't t

chris brasher would run a mile and kristian away with takeover and he would go on as long as he couldd take over. it is all about pacing. as far as the preparation was concerned, on the day, when you look at how professional athletes themselves ready now for major championships, with all due respect, your preparations were pretty... ltd. i went to the medical school. i didn't feel like doing much work —— ltd. a sharpened up my spikes. we ran on very loose —— primitive. i think they think the cinders were about... iran about four seconds slobber. rubbed a little graphite on the spikes. so they would come in and out neatly without collecting cinder and ash. this is your medical school in london, wasn't it? yes. and then got a in london, wasn't it? yes. and then gota train, in london, wasn't it? yes. and then got a train, and as it happened, when i was going, the coach to crisp ratio and then to chris chat away and then i joined ratio and then to chris chat away and then ijoined the trio, and... you bumped into him on the train? yes. i said, i you bumped into him on the train? yes. isaid

he had pacers, chris chataway and chris brasher, and they were important.ant. in a sense it was a team effort. it was definitely a team effort. it was definitely a team effort. they chose the event, they chose the place, they chose the time. and they had a strategy and they stuck to that strategy. he was they stuck to that strategy. he was the one who came through. he always gave credit to chris chataway and eve ryo ne gave credit to chris chataway and everyone else in the race. he felt he was the person who crossed the line first but it was absolutely a team effort. he immortalised iffley road as the stadium. when you look back on it, you get nostalgia because it really was the amateur days of athletics. you have this image of him waking up in the morning and getting on the train and turning up, putting his spikes on and giving it a go. that wouldn't happen now. it is a completely different sport now, completely professional. we admire that. we love that, the symbolism of what he did that day. but the most important thing of it was breaking that elusive ba

roger accomplished the historic feat with help from two other british runners — chris chataway and chris brasherhis tribute. it is difficult for us 64 years later to understand at the time how important it was. this was britain coming out of a war, with rationing. he lifted a nation. he did what was seen to be physiologically impossible. people had tried for yea rs impossible. people had tried for years to break this magical barrier. could someone run underfour years to break this magical barrier. could someone run under four minutes for a could someone run under four minutes fora mile? could someone run under four minutes for a mile? and could someone run under four minutes fora mile? and he did it. but could someone run under four minutes for a mile? and he did it. but what he also did in his life outside running, in medicine, who he was, his humility. he was head of the sports council which then became sport england. this is the end of an era. he with my father and chris chat away, the three of them, what they achieved in sport was amazing. what they then went and achieved outside sport i don

in a half marathon today, the vitality big half the race director was son of sir roger's friend chris brashersonal connection to sir roger. the passing of sir roger bannister isa the passing of sir roger bannister is a real moment of reflection for athletics. no just here is a real moment of reflection for athletics. nojust here in britain but round the world. he inspired millions in running the first sub four minute mile, including some of those who have been running the london half marathon today, where they braved dreadful weather conditions to finish the race. the race director is hugh brasher and joins me now, what was his legacy for athletics? his legacy is something that i think is timeless. he was the first man ever, as you say to break the four minute mile, and at the time, that was deemed to be fizz logically impossible, for nine years people had been trying to break this mythical barrier, it was seen to be impossible. and roger was training at the time to be a doctor, he was training to be a junior doctor, yet at the same time here he was doing a world record, breaking four minutes

hugh brasher, son of chris brasher, is now race director of the london marathon.y is a lifetime thing. sip timeless, to be the first man to run under four minutes for the mile. timeless, to be the first man to run underfour minutes for the mile. i think it is almost difficult for us 6 years to maybe understand at the time how important it was. this was britain coming out of a war, with rationing. he lifted a nation. he did what was seen to be physiologically impossible. people had tried for years to break this magical barrier. could someone run under four minutes for a mile? and he did it. but what he also did in his life outside running, in medicine, who he was, his humility. he was head of the sports council which then became sport england. this is the end of an era. he with my father and chris chat away, the three chataaway, the three of them, what they achieved in sport was amazing. what they then went and achieved outside sport i don't think will ever be seen again, because sport now is a full—time profession. and just tell us who your father was, and what hi

brasher and chataway were the pacemakers. those names became famous themselves. those young men gave everything on 6th may, 1954, on oxford's iffley road track. at this point it becomes quite painful. i overtake chrisy and begin the finish. and here he comes. bannister goes streaking forward with about 250 yards to the tape. before their friend bannister took over. every stride counted. the tape broke at 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. and bannister has done it! he's out on his feet. his coach and team manager tell him he has achieved his ambition. there was certainly a feeling of it being a national event, something of a landmark for the country. it might have felt like the world stopped when that clock stopped. "four—minute mile" was a sporting catchphrase everybody recognised. all i can say is i am absolutely overwhelmed and delighted. it was a great surprise to me to be able to do it today and i think i was very lucky. sir roger bannister was knighted in 1975. athletics was only a small part of his life. he regarded his work as a neurologist as more significant. when he was diagnosed with parkinson's disease, he described the gentle irony that a neurologist should find himself with a neurological condi