ROAD MILES
We are delighted to confirm that there will be a BMC wave in this year’s Vitality Westminster Mile on 27th September.
Last year’s 70th anniversary of the historic first sub-four minute mile was celebrated with two British Milers Club (BMC) races to showcase the UK’s current generation of middle-distance talent and we are very pleased to be back this year.
The two 2024 races saw course records being set by Katie Snowden, the ladies winner in 4:22, and by Joe Wigfield who broke the iconic 4 minute barrier with 3:58.
In 1954 Roger Bannister became the first man to achieve the holy grail of middle-distance athletics and run inside four minutes for the mile at Iffley Road, Oxford. Helped by his illustrious pacemakers Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway, Bannister ran the four laps of the track in 3 minutes and 59.4 seconds.
Since then 276 British men have emulated Bannister’s achievement and run under four minutes for the mile on the track, but last year was the first time for the feat on the roads at Britain’s most iconic mile road race, the Vitality Westminster Mile.
Pacemakers will be employed to give the field the best chance to run a sub-four minute mile around the historic loop of St James’s Park.
The BMC women’s race will also have pacemakers with the aim of running inside 4:20.
The Vitality Westminster Mile is open to BMC members aiming for faster than 4:40 men or 5:24 women. To enter and for more information, click here.
There will be prize money available for for first (£1,000), second (£500) and third (£250) in the men’s and women’s race with a bonus of £250 for the first man that runs inside four minutes and the first woman that can run faster than 4:20.
The Vitality Westminster Mile was launched by London Marathon Events in partnership with Westminster City Council in 2013 as a legacy event from the 2012 Olympic Games. It includes miles for all ages and abilities, including families, adults and veterans, juniors, elite athletes and wheelchair users.
