• Rewind to 1954

Ashes on the track: The Miracle Mile

Roger Bannister's kick overpowered John Landy in the final straight © PA Photos

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With a host of big names missing in Delhi and stadiums left empty, the Commonwealth Games is yet to come alive. But back in 1954, the Empire Games played host to one of the greatest races in history. Dubbed the 'Miracle Mile', it was one of the most hotly anticipated sporting encounters of the 20th century.

In May that year, Roger Bannister sealed his place in the history books, becoming the first man to run the mile in under four minutes. While world records are destined to be broken, Bannister's historic milestone will always be remembered. But ironically his new world record of 3:59.4 lasted less than two months, when Australian John Landy smashed it by over a second, a record that stood for three years.

In Vancouver it was dubbed the 'Race of the Century'; a meeting of two titans of middle-distance running. The first man to break the four-minute mile barrier against the world record holder; it was England versus Australia.

In front of a crowd of 35,000 on August 7, 1954, two men at the peak of their careers would go head-to-head for the one and only time. Millions tuned in to watch the race, in the first televised mile.

It was a clash of cultures - the Ashes of the track, but it was also a tactical battle. The two fastest middle-distance runners on the planet - either man was capable of winning, potentially in another world-record time. The crucial factor would be race strategy - the two men had very different approaches to racing.

Landy preferred to go out hard; he was in his element at the front of the field, using his blistering pace to blow away his opposition. Bannister, by contrast, preferred to sit on his opponent's shoulder and use his strong sprint finish to power past in the home straight.

As expected, Landy went out hard and led for much of the race, and by the halfway stage had established a lead of 10 yards. Bannister had been struggling with a cold but managed to hold on until the final lap when he made his move.

Because of the deafening noise of the crowd, Landy had no idea where Bannister was. As the pair entered the final straight, Landy glanced over his left shoulder to locate his rival, just as Bannister streaked past him on his right.

Bannister was overcome by exhaustion © Getty Images

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Bannister's kick was too strong, and he never relinquished his lead, streaking to victory by five yards, in a time of 3:58:8. Landy's second place finish of 3:59.6 marked the first time two runners had broken the four-minute barrier in the same race.

To commemorate the so-called Miracle Mile, a bronze statue was unveiled outside the Empire Stadium in 1967. "Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt for looking back," mused Landy. "I am probably the only one ever turned into bronze for looking back."

Landy went on to win bronze in the 1500m at the 1956 Olympics in front of his home crowd in Melbourne, but had already cemented his status as a true sporting great at the national championships earlier that year. Landy stopped to check on fellow runner Ron Clarke, who had tripped, before making up a huge deficit to win the race.

The Australian went on to become Governer of Victoria, while Bannister retired later that year to concentrate on his medical career - going on to become a distinguished neurologist.

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