Four-Minute Mile

The dream of a four-minute mile, once considered a physical impossibility seemed a lot closer to reality last week. An Australian agricultural student named John Landy, who had never beaten 4:10 in his life, suddenly raced through the most sparkling mile performance since Gunder ("The Wonder") Haag's world record of 4:01.4 in 1945.

Running on a Melbourne track deadened by heavy rain, and staying in an outside lane to avoid the worst of the puddles, Landy reeled off quarters of 59.2, 61.8, 62.0 and 59.1. His time, after running an estimated ten yards extra: 4:02.1, the second-best time ever recorded. That extra ten yards brought Landy to within five yards of the four-minute performance.

An amateur entomologist who developed his leg muscles chasing specimens, Landy took to running in earnest only three years ago. In 1950 he was still trying to break 4:30, and his best time last season was 4:21. He was one of the last runners chosen as a member of the Australian Olympic team and one of the first to be shut out of the 1,500-meter heats at the Olympics. But as a sidelined observer, Miler Landy took due note of the peculiar running style of Czechoslovakia's famed triple Olympic Titleholder Emil Zatopek (TIME, Nov. 3). He also picked up a few training tips from Zatopek.

Back in Australia, Landy stepped up his training to 40 miles a week (some of it run at midnight after finishing his studies) and varied his jogging routine with plenty of 440-yd. sprints. He also copied Zato-pek's high-arm action and Zatopek's method of running part of a race on his heels rather than on the balls of his feet, a technique designed to rest a distance runner's thigh muscles. But despite his progress (a 4:11 mile this season), it took the most persuasive efforts of his track coach to convince Landy that he had a real chance for the record.

Still young (22) by middle-distance standards, Landy wants "to break Haag's record this season" (i.e., right away, since it is springtime in Australia), now thinks he may do it if he can find someone to pace a well-judged first half-mile. The reason for his hurry: "The boys in Europe are getting close to it now, and they're almost certain to crack four minutes during their next track season."

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