same conditions as Roger Bannister did to break 4:00, that is
It is impossible to re-create the time period Roger Bannister lived in. He probably had to get up in the middle of the night and shovel coal into the furnace to avoid freezing to death. You cannot UNTRAIN people into running 15 miles a week and only in season. "We only trained when a race was coming up, the rest of the time we did nothing." There was no running water, refrigeration and cooking was different. You cannot create a whole new era. Plus expectations were far different, they thought it was impossible to run sub-4:00, now it's a given that the entire field will run under 4 minutes!
Based on a quick Google Maps search, Iffley Road track appears to have been modernized, so using the same track might not really get at the desired effect.
same conditions as Roger Bannister did to break 4:00, that is
It is impossible to re-create the time period Roger Bannister lived in. He probably had to get up in the middle of the night and shovel coal into the furnace to avoid freezing to death. You cannot UNTRAIN people into running 15 miles a week and only in season. "We only trained when a race was coming up, the rest of the time we did nothing." There was no running water, refrigeration and cooking was different. You cannot create a whole new era. Plus expectations were far different, they thought it was impossible to run sub-4:00, now it's a given that the entire field will run under 4 minutes!
Can we make it happen? Should it happen? Who's with me?
...on a cinders track...in early may. this is honestly a really cool idea. injuries would be the biggest concern, iwould suspect, especially considering the footwear.
Speaking of running on grass. I think Peter Snell ran 1:44 on an irregular grass track in New Zealand. It is so weird to me that he could do that in a pair of old spikes but Jakob (the best runner alive right now) can't do it on a super-track.
...on a cinders track...in early may. this is honestly a really cool idea. injuries would be the biggest concern, iwould suspect, especially considering the footwear.
Herb Elliott already did it in Dublin
In a real race, unpaced. 3:54.5
Elliott was in fact paced by Albie Thomas, but it was an awesome run. The kings of unpaced mile records are Ryun in ‘67 and Bayi in’75.
It is impossible to re-create the time period Roger Bannister lived in. He probably had to get up in the middle of the night and shovel coal into the furnace to avoid freezing to death. You cannot UNTRAIN people into running 15 miles a week and only in season. "We only trained when a race was coming up, the rest of the time we did nothing." There was no running water, refrigeration and cooking was different. You cannot create a whole new era. Plus expectations were far different, they thought it was impossible to run sub-4:00, now it's a given that the entire field will run under 4 minutes!
same conditions as Roger Bannister did to break 4:00, that is
It is impossible to re-create the time period Roger Bannister lived in. He probably had to get up in the middle of the night and shovel coal into the furnace to avoid freezing to death. You cannot UNTRAIN people into running 15 miles a week and only in season. "We only trained when a race was coming up, the rest of the time we did nothing." There was no running water, refrigeration and cooking was different. You cannot create a whole new era. Plus expectations were far different, they thought it was impossible to run sub-4:00, now it's a given that the entire field will run under 4 minutes!
I hate to tell you but even in the 1960s many homes in America and Europe did not have running water. "No, not everyone had access to running water in the 1950s. Access to running water varied significantly by region and country, largely depending on economic development, infrastructure, and governmental priorities. In many developed countries, particularly in Western Europe and North America, running water was common in urban and suburban areas by the 1950s. These regions had invested heavily in infrastructure and public utilities, making running water a standard feature in homes. However, in many parts of the world, particularly in less developed or developing countries, access to running water was limited. Rural areas and poorer communities often relied on wells, rivers, or communal taps, and infrastructure for widespread piped water was not as developed. Efforts to improve access to clean water have continued since the 1950s, and today, many more people around the world have access to running water, though disparities still exist." ChatGPT
It is impossible to re-create the time period Roger Bannister lived in. He probably had to get up in the middle of the night and shovel coal into the furnace to avoid freezing to death. You cannot UNTRAIN people into running 15 miles a week and only in season. "We only trained when a race was coming up, the rest of the time we did nothing." There was no running water, refrigeration and cooking was different. You cannot create a whole new era. Plus expectations were far different, they thought it was impossible to run sub-4:00, now it's a given that the entire field will run under 4 minutes!
There was no running water in 1950s England?
"Overall, while running water was increasingly common in the 1960s, complete and universal coverage in all areas was still a work in progress, with variations based on local development and infrastructure." ChatGPT You can look it up, many people did not have running water in the 1950s, and you can bet your sweet bippy Roger Bannister did not have the advantages Jacob Ingebritsen does! That includes many things that young people would not even be aware of such as shoveling coal into the furnace late at night to avoid freezing to death. Do you seriously think Bannister NEVER had to do that? What about carrying huge blocks of ice to the refrigerator? Yes, and yes.
In the mid-1970s, the city of 25,000 I lived in did not even have a sports medicine doctor. Think about how many runners were knocked out by tendonitis, runners knee, heel spurs, and other ailments? No wonder they did not train in the 1950s, they were injured!
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