Running shoes in which Sir Roger Bannister became the first man to run a sub four-minute mile to be sold for £30,000 to £50,000 in the Christie’s ‘Out of the Ordinary’ sale
When Sir Roger Bannister CBE became the first man to run a sub four-minute mile in 1954, he wore a specially adapted pair of running shoes made by GT Law and Son of Wimbledon Park, London. They are now set to be auctioned as part of the Christie’s Out of the Ordinary sale on 10th September and are expected to make as much as £50,000.
Described by Forbes as “the greatest athletic achievement of the 20th century”, the shoes worn by Sir Roger on this historic occasion – which took place during a meet between the British Amateur Athletics Association and Oxford University at the Iffley Road Track in Oxford – weighed just four and a half ounces and featured unusually thin spikes that were made even thinner with a grindstone.
Of them, Sir Roger – whose four children include the CEO of The Phoenix Group, Clive Bannister – remarked:
“They served me great purpose, I’m grateful to them… I think it’s the right time to part with them and I plan to give part of the proceeds to the Autonomic Charitable Trust which encourages the area of neurological research to which I have devoted most of my life… Other worthwhile causes in which I have an interest will also benefit”.
Watch a video interview with Sir Roger Bannister here.
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