John Landy, pursuer of Bannister’s 4-minute mile, dies at 91

By DENNIS PASSA
AP Sports Writer

John Landy, an Australian runner who dueled with Roger Bannister in a bid to become the first person to run a four-minute mile, has died. He was 91. Landy took up competitive running to help him get fit to play Australian rules football. Within 12 months he was on the Australian team for the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. A few years later he was vying with Englishman Bannister in pursuit of the mile record. Bannister made it first, running 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds at Oxford, England on May 6, 1954. Less than two months later, Landy improved on Bannister’s world record in a time of 3:57.90.