Today marks the anniversary of the first sub 4 minute mile by Roger Bannister.
As somebody that ran track in junior high and high school(quarter and half mile) and even intramural track at the University of Michigan(1 leg of the mile relay-quarter mile) this has always been a fascination!
1954
May 06
https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/first-four-minute-mile
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/622194.Roger_Bannister
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Bannister
metmike: Since then, there have been over 600 Americans that have broken that mark and many thousands around the world.
https://trackandfieldnews.com/u-s-sub-400-milers-club-chronologically/
However, when it comes to long distance running, the world has known for decades which country has the franchise on elite athletes!
How an ethnic minority that makes up 0.06% of the world's population came to dominate most of its long-distance races.
It's actually pretty mind boggling!
The results of any Boston Marathon the last couple of decades tell us the story. Of course their neighbors, the Ethiopians are nothing to sneeze at either. I see that somebody from Tanzania finished 4th this year.
https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2022/04/18/2022-boston-marathon-results/
Men
1. Evans Chebet (KEN) — 2:06:51
2. Lawrence Cherono (KEN) — 2:07:21
3. Benson Kipruto (KEN) — 2:07:27
4; Gabriel Geay (TAN) — 2:07:53
5. Eric Kaptanui (KEN) — 2:08:47
6. Albert Korir (KEN) — 2:08:50
7. Scott Fauble (USA) — 2:08:52
8. Jemal Yimer (ETH) — 2:08:58
9. Elkanah Kibet (USA) — 2:09:07
10. Kinde Atanaw (ETH) — 2:09:16
11. Lemi Berhanu (ETH) — 2:09:43
Also on this day for you baseball fans, like mcfarm:
On May 6, 1998, Wood took his electric pitch arsenal to the mound against a loaded Astros team that would go on to win 102 games and finish first in the NL Central that season.
https://cubbiescrib.com/2021/05/06/chicago-cubs-kerry-wood-20-strikeout-game-greatest-ever/
+++++++++++++
Kerry Lee Wood (born June 16, 1977) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 14 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs, Cleveland Indians, and New York Yankees.
Wood first came to prominence as a 20-year-old rookie when he recorded 20 strikeouts in a one-hit shutout against the Houston Astros, which some have argued may be the greatest single-game pitching performance in MLB history.[1][2][3] The game also made Wood the co-holder of the MLB record for strikeouts in a single game (20) and earned Wood the nickname Kid K. He was later named the 1998 National League Rookie of the Year.
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/808985-mlb-the-28-hardest-throwers-in-baseball-history
Outside of MLB there was a pitcher with accomplishments that made Nolan Ryan look like an amateur.
Who could that possibly be?
mcfarm knows. He and I both saw him pitch when our dads took us to see him play.
Me in Detroit and mcfarm in Indiana, went 2 times!!
More impressive than Babe Ruth
3 responses | 4 likes
Started by metmike - Oct. 10, 2020, 11:59 p.m.