Wes Santee... First to break 4min Mile?

Santee never broke 4.

Had Santee not been in the marines, and had a coach that allowed him to run for himself, rather than team in meets, I have no doubt Santee would have been first. But it was not to be.

How did the rest of his life play out? Was he bitter, did he work in a running related field, family man, etc..?

Half Fool wrote:

How did the rest of his life play out? Was he bitter, did he work in a running related field, family man, etc..?

He joined the Marines and retired as a colonel (if you don't know anything about the military, that means he was successful and made a career out of it). I know from an obituary that I just read (I think there is a link to it on another thread) that he had at least one kid. It sounded like he was a good guy and kept running after his departure from the competitive scene.

Woulda coulda shoulda.

He didn't.

True that

You were correct in your thinking, the guy was crazy.

Read the book, probably the best running book I have ever read.

RIP Wes

Wait. Santee isn't dead, is he? He has cancer, but my friend talked to him just 2 weeks ago. The sub 4 story is bogus, but there was little love lost between him and the aau.

Died earlier today. Age 78.

The AAU was a villainous organization. But Santee did not break 4:00.

Amazing story behind Wes Santee. He had the ability, but it was unfortunately just never meant to be.

What a great man, humble and dignified in attitude and most gracious house guest.

He stayed with

Shivaun and I during the trials at our home.He and I were up hours talking running and running history. he was a icon for Dellinger, who was most happy to meet him again.

Wes gave me a form tape that shows near perfect form. I am sad to learn that he has left our world. I will miss him greatly and enjoy the moments we had one on one that magic time that summer. (

-God speed

.wes!

That's too bad about Wes. I think he ran 4:00.6 & 4:00.7, then got busted? Damn shame, he obviously might have been able to do it on the perfect day.

I'm not religious or anything, but I will think of him often.

More than one KU guy from back in the day has told me of the time when Santee ran one of the two-lane highways from Lawrence toward KC at what was then better than WR marathon pace.

I've heard 22, 24 and full marathon distances were done, depending on who I'm chatting with, and talk of 2:10-11 or so.

The guy in the store might be confusing Santee with Glenn Cunningham, a star University of Kansas runner in the 1930s. After he retired Cunningham was known to tell people that he ran under four minutes in practice, which is rather unlikely. Apparently his coach told him he had done it. Santee once raced (and beat) his fraternity brothers, them in a relay and him by himself, on the roads in a very long race, which may be what you are thinking about. I do not rememebr how long or how fast he ran. Santee was a great runner and his legal battle with the AAU was certainly an historic moment in athlete opposition to AAU rule.

I sent Wes Santee a copy of the Perfect Mile when it came out a few years ago and asked him to sign it for me. I was not sure how he would react to the request, given that it to some degree describes the frustration of his efforts to crack 4 min. But he was great, signed it, sent me some chatty emails. He seemed very content and enjoyed the late attention he was getting from the book. That was admirable, as he got completely screwed in the day by the then quite lame and hypocritical AAU, which was following the lead of the despicable Avery Brundage of the IOC.

Found this little gem in the story linked from the front page:

"David Wesley Santee was born March 25, 1932, in Ashland, Kan., and was raised there on a ranch with no running water or electricity. He ran five miles to school and five miles back."

Trained like a Kenyan!

zbt wrote:

I sent Wes Santee a copy of the Perfect Mile when it came out a few years ago and asked him to sign it for me. I was not sure how he would react to the request, given that it to some degree describes the frustration of his efforts to crack 4 min. But he was great, signed it, sent me some chatty emails. He seemed very content and enjoyed the late attention he was getting from the book. That was admirable, as he got completely screwed in the day by the then quite lame and hypocritical AAU, which was following the lead of the despicable Avery Brundage of the IOC.

I had the same experience with Wes - responded to my letters, emails, etc. Heckuva nice guy. Rest in peace.

I am of the same age group as Wes Santee and remember well the contest to be the first man to run the sub 4mins mile.

Bannister,Landy and Santee all had the ability to do it but it was Bannister who touched lucky.As a Pom I would have to say that circumstances,if reported correctly at the time,conspired to give Bannister the honour.

Santee was given no assistance or encouragement in his efforts,it was widely reported that his coach stuffed him up with multiple races in college meets and he had no encouragement to get to Europe to achieve a time.

But it is all water under the bridge,I just remember a great runner over the 800m to 5K distances.RIP.