0 1 2 ▁Games ." ▁ ▁Later , ▁B ann ister ▁started ▁a ▁series ▁of ▁one - mile ▁races ▁by ▁University ▁of ▁Oxford ▁students ▁to ▁mark ▁the ▁event . ▁The ▁new ▁track ▁has ▁been ▁awarded ▁UK ▁Athletics ▁cert ification , ▁which ▁allows ▁race ▁meet ings ▁to ▁be ▁held ▁and ▁be ▁el ig ible ▁for ▁any ▁record ▁attempts ▁by ▁athlet es . ▁ ▁The ▁sub - four - min ute ▁mile ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁B ann ister ▁set ▁himself ▁the ▁target ▁of ▁breaking ▁the ▁four - min ute ▁mile ▁bar rier . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁B ann ister ▁was ▁a ▁ 2 5 - year - old ▁full - time ▁medical ▁student ▁at ▁St ▁Mary ' s ▁Hospital ▁Medical ▁School . ▁He ▁could ▁only ▁train ▁for ▁ 4 5 ▁minutes ▁a ▁day ▁for ▁the ▁event . ▁The ▁opportunity ▁to ▁break ▁the ▁record ▁came ▁on ▁ 6 ▁May ▁ 1 9 5 4 , ▁when ▁B ann ister ▁was ▁compet ing ▁in ▁an ▁event ▁for ▁the ▁Am ateur ▁Athlet ic ▁Association ▁against ▁Oxford ▁University . ▁B ann ister ▁was ▁going ▁to ▁withdraw ▁from ▁the ▁race ▁because ▁of ▁the ▁g ust ing ▁wind , ▁however , ▁just ▁before ▁the ▁race , ▁the ▁wind ▁dropped ▁and ▁B ann ister ▁decided ▁to ▁comp ete . ▁He ▁arranged ▁for ▁Christopher ▁Ch ata way ▁and ▁Chris ▁Br ash er ▁to ▁be ▁the ▁pac em akers , ▁with ▁the ▁first ▁three - quarters ▁of ▁a ▁mile ▁to ▁be ▁run ▁in ▁under ▁three ▁minutes . ▁After ▁Ch