A four-minute mile is the completion of a mile run in four minutes or less.
This incredible athletic feat was first achieved on May 6th, 1954, (of course, we marked that anniversary this month) by British Athlete Roger Bannister, at age 25. His official time was 3:59.4. at Oxford University’s Iffley Road Track in England.
On that day, Roger Bannister made the impossible – possible and showed that barriers primarily exist in our minds.
“It is the brain, not the heart or lungs, that is the critical organ,” Bannister’s been quoted as saying.
And while Bannister’s historic mark might place him near the back of many competitive one mile races today, his 3:59.4 clocking not only represented a watershed moment for middle-distance running, but what he said following the race is something we can all learn from today.
“Après moi, le déluge,” or translated – “after me, the flood.”
That statement will forever serve as an example of the transformative power that sports can have on society, history and humanity as a whole. It certainly applies to business and even marketing as well.
For reference, the “four-minute barrier” has since been broken by more than 1,400 male athletes and is now the standard of all male professional middle distance runners across the planet.
In the 67 years since, the mile record has been lowered by almost 17 seconds and currently stands at 3:43.13, by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco, at age 24, in 1999.
The current one-mile record set by a female athlete is 4 minutes and 12.33 seconds, achieved by Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands in July 2019.
In case you’re wondering how fast that actually is – running a mile in four minutes translates to a speed of 15 miles per hour.
So, what is your 4-minute mile?
What can you do? What can you accomplish if you limit the barriers in your brain? What flood can you unleash for others once you break through those barriers?
Something to think about as we go through our day today…
I hope you found some inspiration in these words. If you’re like me and have the entrepreneurial ambition, I encourage you to find your 4-minute mile and go for it! Get a plan together, then execute on that plan. You might be surprised where it leads you and the flood gates it may open for others.
As I continue my mission to help people win in their businesses with their marketing and advertising across the Mountain State, I want to thank you for reading. If you have questions on this topic, I’d love to talk to you. Please email me: jim@inneractionmedia.com
Until next time…
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