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Roger Bannister Quotes

Athlete

Roger Bannister, born on March 23, 1929, in the United Kingdom, was a renowned long-distance runner. He broke the world record for running one mile in under four minutes on May 6, 1954, a milestone in the history of athletics.

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Famous Roger Bannister Quotes

“I raced supremely well. I felt I was as well fitted to do it as I had ever been, and as perhaps I might ever be. I went climbing three weeks before, because I was feeling fed up with running.”

Wells Feelings Might Running Three Felt Sports Week Athlete Feds Climbing Fed Up

Author:Roger Bannister

“It's a question of spreading the available energy, aerobic and anaerobic, evenly over four minutes. If you run one part too fast, you pay a price. If you run another part more slowly your overall time is slower.”

Ifs Running Energy Sports Pay Four Minutes Athlete Available Aerobics

Author:Roger Bannister

“We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves...The more restricted our society and work become, the more necessary it will be to find some outlet for this craving for freedom. No one can say, 'You must not run faster than this, or jump higher than that.' The human spirit is indomitable.”

“I was always a great bundle of energy. As a child, instead of walking, I would run. And so running, which is a pain to a lot of people, was always a pleasure to me because it was so easy.”

People Children Running Pain Romance Energy Easy Sports Pleasure Walking Athlete Bundles

Author:Roger Bannister

“I was involved in music, acting, and some running, but my firm wish was to become a doctor. That was the formative age when I had decided on the pattern of my career.”

Running Age Wish Acting Careers Involved Decided Doctors Athlete Patterns Firm

Author:Roger Bannister

“I was playing rugby and the other games English school children do, and there was an event which was planned in which races were run, and I simply just won these by a considerable margin”

Inspirational Children Running School Games Sports Race Events Athlete Margins Rugby Playing Rugby

Author:Roger Bannister

“May is a very early time in the year and the weather is usually bad. You cannot run a fast mile race if there is a strong wind, because it makes your running uneven.”

Ifs Years May Running Strong Race Wind Athlete Miles Weather Strong Winds

Author:Roger Bannister

“My introduction to track racing was through the background of cross country running, which is not a sport perhaps as popular in America as it is in England.”

Country Running America Sports Crosses England Athlete Track Backgrounds Racing Introduction Cross Country Running Motivational Cross Country Running

Author:Roger Bannister

“You get very tired, and there was a certain amount of pain and you slow up. Your legs are so tired that you are in fact slowing. If you don't keep running, keep your blood circulating, the muscles stop pumping the blood back and you get dizzy.”

Ifs Facts Running Pain Certain Sports Blood Amount Tired Athlete Legs Muscles Slowing Dizzy Keep Running

Author:Roger Bannister

“Your spikes, which were really quite long then, would catch the material of the track and your shoe would get heavier. I was simply filing them down and rubbing some graphite on the spikes, so that I thought I would run more effectively.”

Long Running Materials Down And Shoes Athlete Track Filing

Author:Roger Bannister

“The human spirit is indomitable. No one can ever say you must not run faster than this or jump higher than that. There will never be a time when the human spirit will not be able to better existing records.”

Giving Humans Running Able Spirit Records Higher Giving Up Faster Not Giving Up Human Spirit Indomitable

Author:Roger Bannister

“Sport, like all of life, is about taking your chances.”

Running Life Is Sports Chance Risk Luck Inspirational Sports Take A Chance Risk-taking

Author:Roger Bannister

“If I faltered, there would be no arms to hold me and the world would be a cold and forbidding place.”

Ifs World Would Be Running Arms Cold Hold Me

Book:The First Four Minutes

Source: The First Four Minutes

“Sport is not about being wrapped up in cotton wool. Sport as about adapting to the unexpected and being able to modify plans at the last minute. Sport, like all life, is about taking risks.”

Running Able Lasts Life Is Sports Leadership Plans Risk Minutes Unexpected Cotton Taking Risks Adapting Last Minute Wool

Author:Roger Bannister

“If a man coaches himself, then he has only himself to blame when he is beaten.”

Ifs Men Running Blame Coaches Beaten Inspirational Running Inspirational Runner

Book:The First Four Minutes

Source: The First Four Minutes

“It is a paradox to say the human body has no 'limit.' There must be a limit to the speed at which men can run. I feel this may be around 3:30 for the mile. However, another paradox remains - if an athlete manages to run 3:30, another runner could be found to marginally improve on that time.”

“The mile has all the elements of a drama.”

Running Drama Elements Miles Marathon Runners Distance Runner Distance Running Running Training Training For A Marathon

Author:Roger Bannister

“We run, not because we think it is doing us good, but because we enjoy it and cannot help ourselves”

Source: The First Four Minutes

“To move into the lead means making an act requiring fierceness and confidence. But fear must play some part...no relaxation is possible, and all discretion is thrown into the wind.”

Mean Play Running Moving Wind Thrown Relaxation Discretion Fierceness

Author:Roger Bannister

“Whether we athletes liked it or not, the 4-minute mile had become rather like an Everest: a challenge to the human spirit, it was a barrier that seemed to defy all attempts to break it, an irksome reminder that men's striving might be in vain.”

Men Humans Might Running Spirit Challenges Break Minutes Strive Athlete Miles Vain Barriers Human Spirit Reminders Inspirational Running Everest

Author:Roger Bannister

“Every time I ran the mile I was aware of my own weakness, there was some opponent who could give me a hell of a fight, so I never went into a race with a sense of invincibility. I always had that feeling of fragility and nerves which made me run faster.”

Giving Made Feelings Running Fighting My Own Race Hell Weakness Give Me Miles Faster Ran Opponents Nerves Fragility Invincibility

Author:Roger Bannister

About the Author

Born: March 23, 1929
Known for: Athlete
Quotes: 55

Books & Sources

The First Four MinutesRelated source material

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