1986
46 Minutes
Documentary
No New Source, View Online
No race has captured the imagination of the general public as the race to break the four-minute barrier that occurred during the 1950s. It should be no surprise that the mile run is the only nonmetric distance event that is still officially recognized for world records. The format of The Supermilers is to show each athlete in action breaking the mile record, provide a brief background of each person, and short interviews about their experiences. Some unique points include Herb Elliott running 36 mile races between 1957-1961, never once being defeated, and he broke the four minute mark on 17 occasions. Elliott stopped racing at age 22 and reported "I stopped at my peak and that is the right time to stop". John Walker reports that "the admiration and publicity of breaking through 50 (3:50 mile barrier) was probably four times more than winning Olympic Gold (1976, 1500m)". The narrator states "that the athlete’s commitment must be total" and Sebastian Coe reinforces this thinking by reflecting that "in 1980, I wanted to win because that was my life". At the end of this film each athlete has the opportunity to predict where the record may advance over the next 15 years. Here are their statements:
Roger Bannister (3:59.4): "I think three and a half minutes is conceivable. That is based on physiological principles of how much oxygen the lungs can breath in and blood can transport."
John Landy (3:58.0): "I confess completely that in 1954 I could not have conceived the mile being run in 3:47. I would have been prepared to bet very big money that that was impossible. So I don’t intend to make a prediction for the year 2000."
Derek Ibbotson (3:57.2): "My standard always was that if you take the world record for 880 yards today and doubled it- beyond that it would be impossible to do it."
Herb Elliott (3:54.5): "We still overprotect ourselves. We still stop that last grind, that challenge to death if you like."
Peter Snell (3:54.4; 3:54.1): "I could see someone possibly averaging 55 seconds per quarter mile, possibly, in the long long distant future, maybe by the year 2000 and that would correspond to about a 3:40 mile. I really don’t think I will ever see a mile run under 3:40."
Michel Jazy (3:53.6): "I think that in 10 year’s time the world record for the mile will be three minutes 43 seconds."
Jim Ryun (3:51.3; 3:51.1): "To run faster by the year 2000 we’re gonna have to see some milers who are gonna run very very well at 400 meters, maybe close to a world record pace. And yet they can carry that on out and run 1500 meters/mile world record. They are gonna have to have that kind of versatility."
Filbert Bayi (3:51.0): "I think maybe by the year 2000 people are going to be flying."
John Walker (3:49.4): "They’re getting stronger, getting bigger, getting faster, they’re becoming more fluent and I think that what will happen is that the athletes will become more scientific."
Sebastian Coe (3:49.0; 3:48.53; 3:47.33): "The improvement in the mile will come from the early part of the race, not the latter part. I think the latter part of the race is the matter of maintaining the same kind of speed that you actually launch from the gun."
Steve Ovett (3:48.8; 3:48.40): "We will probably find that we will get excited about a record being broken by three minutes and a second in the year 2000. All these things occur and I think it’s fascinating. I’d like to be around to watch it all happen."
Steve Cram (3:46.3): "If you are going to look forward to the year 2000; I think 3:40 is a distinct possibility. I mean it’s only, it’s four laps in 55 seconds, which we are not too far away from doing really."
Postscript: Since this film was produced two additional men have lowered the mile mark. Noureddine Morceli ran 3:44.39 on September 12, 1993 in Rieti, Italy and Hicham El Guerrouj improved the standard in Rome, Italy by running 3:43:13 on June 7, 1999 to become the fourteenth mile record holder under the 4 minute mile barrier.
Here is the progression starting with the 4 minute barrier:
3:59.4, Roger Bannister; Oxford, England; May 6, 1954
3:58.0, John Landy; Turku, Finland; June 21, 1954
3:57.2, Derek Ibbotson; London, England; July 19, 1957
3:54.5, Herb Elliott; Dublin, Ireland; August 6, 1958
3:54.4, Peter Snell; Wangnui, New Zealand; January 27, 1962
3:54.1, Peter Snell; Auckland, New Zealand; November 17, 1964
3:53.6, Michel Jazy; Rennes, France; June 9, 1965
3:51.3, Jim Ryun; Berkeley, USA; July 17, 1966
3:51.1, Jim Ryun; Bakersfield, USA; June 23, 1967
3:51.0, Fibert Baji; Kingston, Jamaica; May 17, 1975
3:49.4, John Walker; Gothenburg, Sweden; August 12, 1975
3:49.0, Sebastian Coe; Oslo, Norway; July 17, 1979
3:48.8, Steve Ovett; Oslo, Norway; July 1, 1980
3:48.53, Sebastian Coe; Zurich, Switzerland; August 19, 1981
3:48.4, Steve Ovett; Koblenz, West Germany; August 26, 1981
3:47.33, Sebastian Coe; Brussels, Belgium; August 28, 1981
3:46.32, Steve Cram; Oslo, Norway; July 27, 1985
...And since this video production over four more seconds...
3:44.39, Noureddine Morceli; Rieti, Italy; September 12, 1993
3:43:13, Hicham El Guerrouj; Rome, Italy; June 7, 1999
