He ran sub 4 while doing less than 30 mpw during base phase and just 15 mpw during the competition phase. That in itself puts him ahead of nearly every other sub 4 miler as far as talent goes.
Now add in the fact that he ran that sub 4 on a cinder track on a windy day without modern spikes, let alone superspikes. Then add in the psychological component of breaking a barrier that many assumed to be impossible to break.
He'd definitely be under 3:43 if he tripled his mileage, had modern equipment, and ran in excellent weather conditions. Maybe even under 3:40.
He ran sub 4 while doing less than 30 mpw during base phase and just 15 mpw during the competition phase. That in itself puts him ahead of nearly every other sub 4 miler as far as talent goes.
Now add in the fact that he ran that sub 4 on a cinder track on a windy day without modern spikes, let alone superspikes. Then add in the psychological component of breaking a barrier that many assumed to be impossible to break.
He'd definitely be under 3:43 if he tripled his mileage, had modern equipment, and ran in excellent weather conditions. Maybe even under 3:40.
Unlike some modern runners, we do know that RB was clean.
You don't know. Why would you believe a medical doctor would be clean? Medical doctors and pharmacists know more than anyone how drugs aid &/or harm human body. Medical doctors and pharmacists are smart enough not to get caught.
He ran sub 4 while doing less than 30 mpw during base phase and just 15 mpw during the competition phase. That in itself puts him ahead of nearly every other sub 4 miler as far as talent goes.
Now add in the fact that he ran that sub 4 on a cinder track on a windy day without modern spikes, let alone superspikes. Then add in the psychological component of breaking a barrier that many assumed to be impossible to break.
He'd definitely be under 3:43 if he tripled his mileage, had modern equipment, and ran in excellent weather conditions. Maybe even under 3:40.
Unlike some modern runners, we do know that RB was clean.
You don't know. Why would you believe a medical doctor would be clean? Medical doctors and pharmacists know more than anyone how drugs aid &/or harm human body. Medical doctors and pharmacists are smart enough not to get caught.
What steroids were available to a UK runner in 1955? How would he have acquired them? I think Dianabol had just been invented. But that only started to spill into the bodybuilding community around that time.
He ran sub 4 while doing less than 30 mpw during base phase and just 15 mpw during the competition phase. That in itself puts him ahead of nearly every other sub 4 miler as far as talent goes.
Now add in the fact that he ran that sub 4 on a cinder track on a windy day without modern spikes, let alone superspikes. Then add in the psychological component of breaking a barrier that many assumed to be impossible to break.
He'd definitely be under 3:43 if he tripled his mileage, had modern equipment, and ran in excellent weather conditions. Maybe even under 3:40.
He ran sub 4 while doing less than 30 mpw during base phase and just 15 mpw during the competition phase. That in itself puts him ahead of nearly every other sub 4 miler as far as talent goes.
Now add in the fact that he ran that sub 4 on a cinder track on a windy day without modern spikes, let alone superspikes. Then add in the psychological component of breaking a barrier that many assumed to be impossible to break.
He'd definitely be under 3:43 if he tripled his mileage, had modern equipment, and ran in excellent weather conditions. Maybe even under 3:40.
I have made similar arguments for a long time. It's impossible to know for sure how fast RB could have run with all the things we have in 2022, and it's unlikely he'd be 3:43 material just because that's totally insane, but I think we can say with high confidence he would be under 3:50. Just having better shoes and a modern track would probably bring him down to 3:55.
I've also said similar things about Kip Keino... Dude ran 3:34.9 in Mexico City (~8000ft) in 1968 with arguably not great pacing. Have the Kip Keino of that day race at sea level with pacers and modern shoes and track and he drops 7 seconds bare minimum.
In the end you have to appreciate athletes for how good they were in their era. Bannister did the impossible. Lots of guys do it now, but people literally thought it was impossible back then. Same sort of thing as the sub 2hr marathon. Only RB didn't have millions of dollars of people and trainers etc backing him. He just had himself and couple of friends (Chataway and Brasher). Love it.
You don't know. Why would you believe a medical doctor would be clean? Medical doctors and pharmacists know more than anyone how drugs aid &/or harm human body. Medical doctors and pharmacists are smart enough not to get caught.
What steroids were available to a UK runner in 1955? How would he have acquired them? I think Dianabol had just been invented. But that only started to spill into the bodybuilding community around that time.
That's how you want to respond? I would have thought you more sincere if you posted Roger Banister was a close person friend. You just tried to narrow performance enhancing drugs to steroids. If you want to be honest, look at all p.e.d.s available to Thoroughbred race horses and humans in 1940's & 1950's instead of attempting to start a narrow debate regarding steroids. Amphetamines we're available.
He ran sub 4 while doing less than 30 mpw during base phase and just 15 mpw during the competition phase. That in itself puts him ahead of nearly every other sub 4 miler as far as talent goes.
Now add in the fact that he ran that sub 4 on a cinder track on a windy day without modern spikes, let alone superspikes. Then add in the psychological component of breaking a barrier that many assumed to be impossible to break.
He'd definitely be under 3:43 if he tripled his mileage, had modern equipment, and ran in excellent weather conditions. Maybe even under 3:40.
I definitely could see him as a sub-3:50 guy today, but I’m inclined to believe that Herb Elliott was likely even more talented just a few years later.
Talent is not defined by who can run the fastest on sub-optimal training.
Agreed, two guys could be 4:30 milers on 30 MPW and doubling the mileage & training might take one of them to 4:10 and the other to 4:20. Responding to increased training stimulus is just as much a measure of talent as how fast you can run off of minimal training.
George and most other runners of his era trained a lot more than what they'd like to admit. In 1886, heavy training was considered to be unsporting.
Bannister, on the other hand, was busy with medical school and could only train for a small amount of time. His posted training schedule is likely to reflect what he actually did.
