The Magic of the Mile Quiz | Track & Field

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. It was over 30 years between the first sub 4 minute 10 second mile and Roger Bannister's first sub 4 minute mile in 1954. Starting with the first runner under 4 min 10 sec, how many different individuals held the record before Bannister?

Answer: 6

Jules Ladoumegue of France ran the first sub 4 min 10 sec mile in 1923. Improvements were made by Jack Lovelock (New Zealand), Glenn Cunningham (USA), and Sydney Wooderson (GB). During the Second World War, a series of races saw Gundar Haegg and Arne Andersonn of Sweden each break the record 3 times with Haegg claiming the fastest time of 4 min 1.4 secs in 1945.

2. The month following Bannister's first sub-4 minute run in 1954, John Landy of Australia broke the record with a run of 3 min 57.6 sec. In August 1954, the two met in a "showdown" dubbed the "Mile of the Century". What was the meet?

Answer: British Empire and Commonwealth Games

The British Empire Games were renamed the British Empire and Commonwealth for the Vancouver Games in 1954. The name was changed again in 1970 (Edinburgh) to the Commonwealth Games. The race between Bannister and Landy, at that time the only two sub-4 minute milers, lived up to its billing.

As Landy glanced over his shoulder leading into the final straight, Bannister seized the moment and won the race in 3.58.8 to Landy's 3.59.6 - the first time that two runners had broken four minutes in the same race.

3. Roger Bannister was the first man to run under 4 minutes for the mile but who was the first man to run exactly 4 min 0.0 sec?

Answer: Derek Ibbotson

Derek Ibbotson, who broke John Landy's world record with 3.57.2 in July 1957, was the first man to run exactly 4 minutes when finishing 4th in race won by Herb Elliott at the White City track, London in September 1958.

4. Who was the first U.S. citizen to run the mile in under four minutes?

Answer: Don Bowden

Wes Santee came desperately close with 4.00.5 in 1955. Don Bowden ran 3.58.7 when winninng the PAC-10 Championships for Berkeley on June 1, 1957.

5. This mile world record holder had an all too brief track career. Retiring at 22, he had the incredible record of never being beaten at the mile or, its metric equivalent, the 1500m. Who was he?

Answer: Herb Elliott

Aussie Herb Elliott's career from 1957 to 1961 ended with his being undefeated in thirty-six one mile and nine 1500m races. He broke 4 minutes for the mile 17 times. His Olympic gold medal and world record in the 1500 meters at Rome in 1960 was one of the most impressive performances of all-time. His margin of victory was 20 meters!

6. Who was the first high school student to run the mile in under 4 minutes?

Answer: Jim Ryun

On 5th June 1964, Jim Ryun became the first high schooler to break 4 minutes with a 3.59.0 clocking. He went on to break the world mile record twice with 3.51.3 (1966) and 3.51.1 (1967). Most believe that the thin air of Mexico City cost Ryun his chance of the 1968 Olympic Gold in the 1500m.

He had to settle for the silver behind Kip Keino of Kenya. His hopes to make amends at the 1972 Munich Olympics were dashed when he fell in a qualifying heat of the 1500 metres. Jim Ryun went on to become an member of the U.S. Senate.

7. Fibert Bayi of Tanzania was the first African to hold the World Record for the mile when he ran 3.51.0 in 1975. He was renowned for which particular running style/tactic?

Answer: He liked to set a blistering pace from the start of the race

Fibert Bayi was a crowd favourite with his lead from gun-to-tape tactics. At the 1974 Commonwealth Games 1500 meter final in Christchurch, New Zealand, the hometown favourite John Walker failed to catch the front running Filbert who won the Gold in a world record of 3.32.2 sec.

8. The first man to break the 3.50 barrier for the mile would have worn which emblem on his unifrom in international competition?

Answer: A Silver Fern

John Walker of New Zealand was the first man under 3min 50 sec with his 3.49.4 victory in Gothenburg, Sweden in August 1975. He became the third New Zealander after Jack Lovelock and Peter Snell to hold the world mile record. He won the Olympic 1500 meter Gold at Montreal in 1976. However, his performances were soon to be eclipsed by the formidable English duo of Coe and Ovett.

9. Remarkably, less than 40 years after the first 4 minute mile, the record was to fall below 3 minutes 45 seconds. In which country was this feat achieved?

Answer: Italy

Noureddine Morceli of Algeria was the first man under 3.45 with 3.44.39 at Rieti, Italy, September 5, 1993. Moreceli had the formidable record of being unbeaten in 45 1500m/mile finals between 1992 and 1996, including the Olympic 1500m title in Atlanta 1996.

10. No questions on milers would be complete without mention of a unique period of history when two men blessed with almost equal and amazing talent were at their peak at the same time. However, Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett never raced each other in the mile.

Answer: True

Although Coe and Ovett can claim 5 world mile records during their careers, spanning nearly 15 years, Coe and Ovett only raced against each other on 7 occasions. At the 1980 Moscow Olympics and "traded" victories - Ovett taking the 800 meters and Coe the 1500 meters. Coe successfully defended his Olympic 1500 meter title at Los Angeles in 1984.

Unfortunately, Ovett was unable to finish this race due to problems with asthma. Many meet promoters tried desperately to bring the two together for races outside the major games but due to illness, injury, or mutual avoidance, they never met each other in a mile race on the world stage.

Source: Author PJL

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Nightmare before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

The Magic of the Mile Trivia Quiz

The mile remains one of the "Blue Ribband" events of Track and Field. The four-minute mile is still acknowledged as a "badge of entry" into world-class middle-distance running.

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