Chris Thompson, a 2:10 marathoner and 4:01 miler, will be firing the proverbial starting gun at 9am. on Bank Holiday Monday May 5 for the second annual Bannister Community Mile.
First-wave runners will then surge up St Aldates, glide down the High and finish on Iffley Road. To pick up their medals, they step down to the famous track. This is the same place where 71 years ago, Roger Bannister was the first man to break the seemingly impenetrable barrier of running a mile in under four minutes.
Thompson ran for Britain in the marathon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Before that he was European silver medallist in the 10,000 metres.
After his starting duties are over, Chris will be running the mile himself in a family wave with his four-year-old son Theo.
Thompson said: “I feel very honoured to be the official starter of this year’s Bannister Community Mile, and having Theo involved as well will make it extra special. Though my career took off when I went for the longer distances, a mile is just right everyone in the community – from kids to grandparents – to feel the thrill of running at any pace and taste the grit of competition. The centre of Oxford – what an amazing place to run a road mile!
Chris Thompson (Getty)
He added: “I have very fond memories of Roger Bannister and always admired his encouragement to everyone he met to take up some kind of sport, whether it be athletics, badminton or canoeing.”
Entries close at midnight Friday 2nd May. All children under 6 go free. Enter here.
The anniversary celebrations continue in the afternoon with the Bannister Track Miles. These are all four-lap track races on the Sir Roger Bannister Track at the Iffley Road Sports Centre. The races are drawing athletes from all over Britain and abroad.
READ MORE: Bannister Miles 2024 coverage
Spectating at the track is free, there will be food and drink available along with other stalls and activities for the afternoon. Track races start at 2.30pm and include junior, senior and para events. The day ends at 6pm with elite races for men and women. A number of sub-four milers are expected to return from last year’s men’s event, at which four athletes ran under four minutes, the winner creating a new all-time track record.
» Subscribe to AW magazine here, check out our new podcast here or sign up to our digital archive of back issues from 1945 to the present day here
