Question for all the running historians. I submit that it is a myth that people thought the 4:00 mile was impossible.
We all know Gunder Hägg had run a 4:01 in the 1940's. I find it hard to believe that people would have thought that it would be impossible to run about a second faster. Let's look at the 2:00 marathon debate. If someone had run the marathon in 2:00:30 would people still be saying that a sub 2 is impossible?
The myth says that once Bannister showed that it was humanly possible, everybody started running 4 minute miles, as though it was only their defeatist thoughts holding them back. My theory is that *everyone* knew the 4 minute mile was vulnerable. The only reason why there was a pause in the record progression is that there was a "lost generation" due to WW2. But once the war gave way to prosperity and economic growth, there was a furious competition to be the first one to break it.
Am I off base?