what milestone in endurance sports? This shouldn’t be too hard, and the prize for the first correct answer is, of course, nothing.
RP
My mom! Happy birthday mom! 
Dan’s Hundreth Birthday?
Happy Birthday to Mrs. Sousa.
On May 6, 1937, the hydrogen-filled German dirigible Hindenburg burned and crashed in Lakehurst, N.J., killing 36 of the 97 people on board … giving us the term “Crash & Burn”
OR …
1954
Roger Bannister became the first athlete to run a mile in less than four minutes, finishing in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds during a track meet in Oxford, England.
Bannister sub-4:00 mile…1954…
I’ll take my prize in small, unmarked bills…
Hmmmmm…a tie…
I graciously donate my half of the prize to Randymar on account that the Hindenberg reference is much, much closer to my athletic style than Sir Bannister’s.
Thank you. We just proved that Long Island and New Jersey, are really not that much different.
We have two winners – randymar and tryemdad. Bannister broke the 4:00 barrier 51 years ago today. I would love to say that I know that because I’m so knowledgeable in the history of our chosen sports, but that ain’t the case. I received a book titled “The Perfect Mile” as a gift a while back. It’s the story of the three guys who had a shot a breaking the 4:00 barrier and how they went about their quest to be the first to do it. I’m about halfway through the book, and it’s a pretty good read. I haven’t gotten to the point at which Bannister set the record, but I skipped ahead a little to find out when it happened. Neal Bascomb wrote the book, and it’s very interesting and well-written.
Anybody else read this book?
RP
Perfect Mile is an awesome book. I would recomend it to anyone interested in endurance sports. Particularly perople who frequent here.
They are going to make a movie out of it too. reportedly by the same people who produced Sea Biscuit.
Oh gosh. If they cast Toby Maguire in it I’m going to have a house burning spree.
“The Perfect Mile” was my book of the month for March. April was “The Island of Lost Maps.” I haven’t made a choice for May.
Any thoughts???
How about Obree’s book? When I finish The Perfect Mile, I want to read The Flying Scotsman. (Is that the name of it?) I understand it can be pretty hard to find.
RP
Drank a little too much ‘grape juice’ in kindergarden today, Ze Gopha?
Ultra-Marthon Man by Dean Karnazes
http://www.ultramarathonman.com/speaking.php
Really interesting, and well written.
… my birth.
- Yes. Just aged up into the big-boys group.
Hello MOP!
Woody
We just proved that Long Island and New Jersey, are really not that much different.
I think that was already obvious to those of us who grew up in NY!
Not sure I’d agree…
At least there’s more to NJ than the vast, flat wasteland of overcrowded neighborhoods and strip malls that is Long Island.
I’m counting the days to get off this “island”…
What about his other accoplishments. I think what he did after his athletic adventures is more important than the first sub 4 mile.
He completed his medical studies and for the next two decades combined a career in research with clinical practice as a neurologist. After recovering from a serious car accident he withdrew from private practice to devote himself to research. He maintained an interest in athletics, serving as Chairman of the Sports Council of Great Britain from 1971 to 1974, and as President of the International Council for Sport and Physical Recreation from 1976 to 1983. Dr. Bannister was knighted in 1975
Today, Sir Roger Bannister is Director of the National Hospital for Nervous Diseases in London and a trustee-delegate of St. Mary’s Hospital Medical School in Paddington. Since 1990 he has also been Chairman of the Editorial Board of the journal Clinical Autonomic Research and is the editor of Autonomic Failure, a textbook on clinical disorders of the autonomic nervous system.