Bannister and Beyond: The Mystique of the Four-Minute Mile

The 50th anniversary of the first four-minute mile is May 6, 2004. Since that great day in 1954 when Roger Bannister broke through the wall that many said would never be breached, hundreds of milers have gone sub-four—but the achievement is still an extraordinary one, and the four-minute mile stands as a measure of greatness. This book contains interviews with and commentary from the great milers, from Bannister to his great rival, John Landy, to the stars of each succeeding decade (including Peter Snell, Eammon Coghlan, Jim Ryun, and John Walker), all of them discussing the mile—its poetry, its rhythms, the tactics for running it, and above all, what it means to run sub-four.

This is an important piece of track history, and a book to edify and inspire all runners.