Farewell.
I couldn’t do it
Run that far in four minutes.
In four minutes I can:
Almost sew on a button
Maybe respond to an email
Almost boil an egg
Perhaps walk 400 metres
But Sir Roger Bannister
Ran
He ran and ran
Til his lungs were bursting
And every tendon
Stretched till he had run
A mile; in less than four.
Breathless
The first man,
Panting
1954
Heart racing
Breaking the record.
Amazing national hero.
Sir Roger Bannister
Breathed his last.
Yesterday.
Farewell.
Words above and picture copyright Englepip©
Sir Roger Bannister, a British athletic hero passed away yesterday 3rd March 2018 at the age of 88 years.
He was one of the last true amateur athletes running on a cinder track just outside Oxford. Wikipedia reads:
“In the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki, Bannister set a British record in the 1500 metres and finished fourth. This strengthened his resolve to be the first 4-minute miler. He achieved this feat on 6 May 1954 at Iffley Road track in Oxford, with Chris Chatawayand Chris Brasher providing the pacing. When the announcer, Norris McWhirter, declared “The time was three…”, the cheers of the crowd drowned out Bannister’s exact time, which was 3 minutes 59.4 seconds. Bannister’s record lasted just 46 days. He had reached this record with minimal training, while practising as a junior doctor.”
One of my favourite shops pictured above: Healey & James*
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