Bannister Miles goes to strength to strength with another sub-four performance

Oxford hosted on May 5 the second annual Bannister Miles Celebration with a joyful community mile along the High Street and 24 one-mile track races at the Iffley Road Athletics Track, with four men running under four minutes in the elite race.

It was a Northern invasion, as three of them hailed from the Wirral, Salford and Preston. Just like Bannister on May 6 in 1954, 25-year-old Joe Wigfield took a clear lead on the last lap and smashed through the tape in 3.56.64. Only a brisk northerly wind held him back from a track and British Milers' Club record. Following closely behind were Jacob Cann, Harry Wakefiled and Tiarnan Crorken, all running under 4min. Tiarnan becoming the first man to run twice under the 4min barrier at Iffley Road.

Two Oxford University athletes in the elite race, Alex Gruen and Nicholas Whittaker, came through in 4.04.11 and 4.05.29. The track now boasts eight sub-fours in two years – as many as were run in the previous 70 years!

It was Cambridge’s victory in the elite women’s race, as Holly Dixon of Cambridge Harriers crossed the line in 4.40.05, ahead of Hannah Cameron of Aberdeen.

Almost 300 athletes took part, many achieving personal bests. The celebration included para races and the novel one-mile steeplechase.

Thomas Renshaw, organiser of the event for the university’s cross-country club, said: “The celebration goes from strength to strength. It is becoming a magnificent magnet for top milers. Men and women from under-13s to veterans, come here to prove their worth early in the season. While the Community Mile was another massive success with over 1200 people running down the High Street and the ever growing ‘Family Wave’ a highlight of the morning activities.”

The second annual Bannister Community Mile saw waves and waves of runners sweep down the High Street and finish on Iffley Road, picking up finisher medals at the Sir Roger Bannister Track. Chris Thompson, who represented GB in the 2020 Olympic marathon, tooted the starting horn with his son Theo. One of Roger Bannister’s great-grandchildren, 6-year-old Saskia Townsend, ran in the family wave with her father, Barnaby Townsend.  A former Oxford student who saw the original mile race, 92-year-old David Picksley, completed the mile too.

The track races were staged on the bright new blue-coloured track just constructed by the university.

Men: Mile: A: 1 J Wigfield (Wirr) 3:56.64; 2 J Cann (Western Tempo) 3:58.15; 3 H Wakefield (Salf, M35) 3:58.42; 4 T Crorken (Prest) 3:59.46; 5 J Young (Morp) 4:00.51; 6 C Allan (H&P) 4:00.62; 7 J Morrison (W Ches) 4:03.60; 8 A Gruen (MKDP) 4:04.11; 9 R Harvie (Brack) 4:04.55; 10 N Whittaker (Oxf U) 4:05.29. B: 2 W Atkins (Winchester RC, U20) 4:11.40; 5 T Chadwick (High, U20) 4:13.19; 6 J Hurrell (Chelm, U20) 4:13.46. D: 2 T Loynes (Neath, U20) 4:16.39; 10 L Jolly (Read, M40) 4:29.83. E: 14 P Davis (Lut, M45) 4:35.41. F: 9 B Brodie (Bella H, M50) 4:50.96. G: 10 B Paviour (Herne H, M50) 4:51.86; 11 M Ince (BRAT, M50) 4:55.46. Ht: 7 S Cetin (TVH, M45) 4:51.29; 10 R Datnow (TVH, M50) 4:53.22. I: 1 M Powell (Abing, M50) 4:57.82; 3 J Kempson (Eynsh, M60) 5:24.68; 4 G Gemmell (Bella H, M60) 5:26.71; 7 S Leech (W Horse, M60) 5:34.23; 9 B Green (Oxf C, M65) 5:47.05. J: 1 C Chambers (Soton, U17) 4:21.67; 2 T Moore (BMH, U17) 4:23.22. L: 1 J Longworth (W&SV, U15) 4:38.46. N: 1 E Aldridge (B&B, U13) 5:02.42; 2 E Statham (Bury, U13) 5:03.77; 3 W May (Read, U13) 5:06.84; 4 T Jones (Swan, U13) 5:12.42

Women: Mile: A: 1 H Dixon (Camb H) 4:40.05; 2 H Cameron (A'deen) 4:43.62; 3 I McGowan (Banb, U20) 4:44.31; 4 S Millard (Herne H) 4:45.73; 5 E Powell (Abing, U20) 4:48.02; 6 R López Ramírez (MEX) 4:48.73; 7 Z Gilbody (Tel, U20) 4:50.87; 8 M Gold (Swan, U20) 4:56.64. B: 1 S Crumly (Read) 4:56.89; 2 G Langdon (Read, U20) 4:58.05. C: 1 L Cunild (N'pton) 4:58.66; 2 K Blunden (Notts, W45) 4:59.68. D: 1 K Scott (AFD, U17) 4:52.56; 2 O Forrest (B Beagles, U17) 4:58.02; 3 V Rudkin (W&SV, U17) 5:01.37; 4 O Avery (Glouc, U17) 5:01.49; 5 L Sheridan (Read, U17) 5:03.98; 6 C Campbell (Oxf C, U17) 5:05.11; 7 O Garcia Davis (AFD, U17) 5:07.58; 8 S Coppola Johansen (E&E, U17) 5:09.94. F: 1 M Mullett (W&SV, U15) 4:51.96; 2 I Buchanan (HY, U15) 4:57.63; 3 A King (Chelm, U15) 5:01.70. G: 1 M Kindler (B Beagles, U13) 5:04.22; 2 R Kohring (Warr, U13) 5:18.12; 3 S Davies (TVH, U13) 5:18.71

Mixed events: 1500: 1 J Wigfield (Wirr) 3:39.79; 2 J Cann (Western Tempo) 3:42.11; 3 H Wakefield (Salf, M35) 3:42.43; 4 T Crorken (Prest) 3:42.56; 5 J Young (Morp) 3:45.21; 6 C Allan (H&P) 3:45.47; 7 J Morrison (W Ches) 3:47.56; 8 A Gruen (MKDP) 3:47.63; 9 R Harvie (Brack) 3:47.99; 10 N Whittaker (Oxf U) 3:48.05; 15 T Chadwick (High, U20) 3:55.59; 16 J Hurrell (Chelm, U20) 3:55.77; 18 W Atkins (Winchester RC, U20) 3:56.11; 30 C Chambers (Soton, U17) 4:04.89; 52 L Jolly (Read, M40) 4:11.41; 71 P Davis (Lut, M45) 4:17.33; 84 H Dixon (Camb H, W) 4:22.25; 98 H Cameron (A'deen, W) 4:25.13; 101 I McGowan (Banb, U20W) 4:26.17; 102 S Millard (Herne H, W) 4:26.54; 110 E Powell (Abing, U20W) 4:30.02; 112 B Brodie (Bella H, M50) 4:31.47; 116 Z Gilbody (Tel, U20W) 4:32.28; 117 B Paviour (Herne H, M50) 4:32.84; 123 K Scott (AFD, U17W) 4:33.81; 125 M Mullett (W&SV, U15W) 4:34.68; 126 R Datnow (TVH, M50) 4:34.75; 130 M Ince (BRAT, M50) 4:35.88; 135 M Gold (Swan, U20W) 4:36.62; 136 I Buchanan (HY, U15W) 4:37.09; 139 G Langdon (Read, U20W) 4:38.55; 141 O Forrest (B Beagles, U17W) 4:39.44; 142 M Powell (Abing, M50) 4:39.51; 144 K Blunden (Notts, W45) 4:39.93; 145 V Rudkin (W&SV, U17W) 4:40.75; 146 A King (Chelm, U15W) 4:40.75; 149 C Campbell (Oxf C, U17W) 4:42.72; 150 O Avery (Glouc, U17W) 4:42.73; 151 L Sheridan (Read, U17W) 4:42.78; 154 M Kindler (B Beagles, U13W) 4:44.09; 157 E Aldridge (B&B, U13) 4:44.84; 158 E Statham (Bury, U13) 4:45.30; 162 W May (Read, U13) 4:46.46; 177 R Kohring (Warr, U13W) 4:59.19; 179 S Davies (TVH, U13W) 5:00.12; 187 J Kempson (Eynsh, M60) 5:04.99; 188 G Gemmell (Bella H, M60) 5:06.11; 196 S Leech (W Horse, M60) 5:12.10; 208 B Green (Oxf C, M65) 5:24.83