Coe opens Sir Roger Bannister track

Record-breaker Sir Roger joined for the official opening of the track, firing the starting gun for an inaugural mile race between current Oxford students.

The track, last refurbished 20 years ago, now has improved cushioning and UK Athletics certification to be able to hold meetings and be eligible for record attempts.

As President of Oxford University's Athletics Club in his student days in the late 1940s, Sir Roger made it his aim to resurface the existing bumpy track with a new one.

In 1954, he became the first to run a mile in under four minutes, a record he held on the Oxford track for 36 years.

Seb Coe said: "Sir Roger's achievement was a truly historic moment in track and field history to become the first man to run the mile in less than four minutes.

"It is fitting that the track at Iffley Road where Roger set this momentous record should be re-named in his honour.

"I hope that many other records will be set at this newly refurbished track and that some young athletes that run here will go on to compete in the London 2012 Games."

10 May 2007