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It was a blustery late spring day in 1954 and a young Oxford medical student flung himself over the line in a mile race. There was an agonising pause, and then the timekeeper announced the record: three minutes, fifty-nine point four seconds. But no one heard anything after that first word - 'three'. One of the most iconic barriers of sport had been broken, and Roger Bannister had become the first man to run a mile in under four minutes. To this day, more men have conquered Mount Everest than have achieved what the slender, unassuming student managed that afternoon. Sixty years on and the letters still arrive on Roger Bannister's doormat, letters testifying to the enduring appeal of the four...
A refreshingly critical account of the life of sporting legend Roger Bannister, presenting a revisionist history of his life and his famous achievement and assessing his status as a 'hero' and 'champion'.
Publisher Description
Roger Bannister's own account of becoming the became the first man to run a mile in under four minutes - a feat which established him as one of the most famous sportsmen in history.
This textbook emphasizes the fundamental attraction of neurology: the balance between clinical history, often with subtle psychological aspects; and knowledge of the basic anatomy and physiology of brain function. It clearly explains how to diagnose and treat common neurological disorders. Since the publication of the sixth edition, there have been extraordinary technical advances in neurology, most notably in the fields of molecular genetics and new imaging techniques. There are new sections on each of these topics. This volume also has a new chapter on the neurological complications of AIDS. Many new topics have been introduced and there have been major revisions to most chapters, particul...
Roger Bannister was the first person to run the mile in under four minutes. Fifty years on, his status, not just as a champion athlete but also as a true British hero, a gentleman and an amateur from a 'golden era' in sport, retains its unblemished appeal. Until now there has been little criticism and even less close historical study of Bannister and his achievement. This book redresses the balance, presenting a revisionist history of Sir Roger Bannister and in doing so providing fresh insights into the making of this British 'champion'. This book does more than detail the history of a sporting giant. It invites the reader to reconsider the very words often used to describe him - notably 'he...
The years 1953-54 were marked by the conquests of two unattainable peaks - Mount Everest and the Four Minute Mile. But the dream of setting a new track record for this distance started as early as the 1880s, by the American Lon Myers, a stick-thin hypochondriac who was sick before and after every race, yet still held every US record from 50 yards to the mile. By 1902 a record of 4 minutes and 16 seconds was set by the Englishman Joe Binks, an amateur runner who in his spare time worked as a journalist and writer. And again in 1923 the world inched ever closer to the elusive four minute record thanks to Paavo Nurmi, the 'Phantom Finn', who won nine Olympic gold medals and set so many world re...
The fantastic memoir by Roger Bannister, the middle-distance runner who achieved the epic quest to break the four-minute mile! All sports have pivotal moments, single events that change perceptions forever after. For the sport of running such a moment passed on a blustery May afternoon in 1954, when Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile. This is the story of that fantastic run. Today, more than sixty years later, lovers of sport - runners and non-runners alike - will be moved by this impassioned story of one of sport's true heroes.
"In this spellbinding book, journalist Ed Caesar takes us into the world of elite marathoners: some of the greatest runners on earth. Through the stories of these rich characters, like Kenyan Geoffrey Mutai, around whom the narrative is built, Caesar traces the history of the marathon as well as the science, physiology, and psychology involved in running so fast for so long. And he shows us why this most democratic of races retains its brutal, enthralling appeal--and why we are drawn to test ourselves to the limit, "--Amazon.com.
When elite ultrarunners have a need for speed, they turn to coach Jason Koop. Now the sport’s leading coach makes his highly effective ultramarathon training methods available to ultrarunners of all abilities in his book Training Essentials for Ultrarunning. Ultramarathoners have traditionally piled on the miles or tried an approach that worked for a friend. Yet ultramarathons are not just longer marathons; simply running more will not prepare you for the race experience you want. Ultramarathon requires a new and specific approach to training. Training Essentials for Ultrarunning will revolutionize training for those who want to race an ultramarathon instead of just gutting it out to the f...