The Race of the Century: The Battle to Break the Four-Minute Mile by Neal Bascomb

Abstract

Reviewed by: The Race of the Century: The Battle to Break the Four-Minute Mile by Neal Bascomb Elizabeth Bush Bascomb, Neal The Race of the Century: The Battle to Break the Four-Minute Mile. Scholastic Focus, 2022 [256p] illus. with photographs Trade ed. ISBN 9781338628463 $18.99 E-book ed. ISBN 9781338628494 $18.99 Reviewed from digital galleys R Gr. 5-8 Bascomb returns with another successful adaptation of material previously released for an adult audience, in this case his 2004 The Perfect Mile. Three middle distance runners—Britain’s Roger Bannister, Australia’s John Landy, and America’s Wes Santee—returned from the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki without medals but with a new goal: to break the four-minute mile, a feat many runners and scientists believed to beyond human capability. Bascomb delivers a balanced account of the men’s differences in personality, motivation, training regimens, and life responsibilities— they were, after all, amateurs with day jobs. There was also the ever-roiling media speculation that accompanied them ahead of the decisive Vancouver Empire Games of 1954, where Bannister edged out Landy (both breaking the four-minute goal), and Santee was left to cover the race from the commentator’s booth. The historical “Miracle Mile” is a thrilling tale in its own right, certain to enthrall middle school track runners and fans, but Bascomb also opens a window on the evolving status of amateur sportsmen, a preview of the financial and regulatory pressures on unpaid players who are expected to play like pros while funding their own training. An author’s note, bibliography, notes, and index are included. Copyright © 2022 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois