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Books

For Roger Bannister, the four-minute mile was just the start

A review of Twin Tracks, by Roger Bannister. Bannister's two brilliant careers, medical and athletic, both show the power of mind over matter

31 May 2014

9:00 AM

31 May 2014

9:00 AM

Twin Tracks Roger Bannister

Robson, pp.384, £20, ISBN: 9781849546867

The title of this reflective and readable memoir refers to the author’s lifetime interests in sport and medicine — tracks which advanced not in parallel but with intersections. Few will be unaware that Roger Bannister was the first man to run a mile in under four minutes. The image of him breasting the tape scarcely needed reproducing on both the front and back cover of his book; even 60 years on, this moment is firmly imprinted on the country’s psyche.

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