Bannister 50th Anniversary Mile
May 6, 2004 at Nike World Headquarters, Beaverton OR

Galen Rupp runs 4:01.8 - 8th best HS miler ever
- breaks 27-year-old Oregon state record

Central Catholic Portland OR sr Galen Rupp put his name up with US high school immortals as he ran with Nike elite athletes in a special mile on the 50th anniversary of Roger Bannister's historic sub-4 mile. The race was run on the track in the woods at Nike World Headquarters in Beaverton OR. Rupp broke the Oregon state high school record of 4:04.9 set by Dirk Lakeman at the 1977 Prefontaine Classic. Lakeman was in the crowd of 1,000 watching the race on the track in the woods on the Nike campus. Rupp's performance came less than a week after he ran the 4th fastest 5000 meters ever by a US high school runner (13:55.32) at the Cardinal Invite at Stanford. Rupp was timed in 3:45.3 for 1500 meters en route. He moved into 8th on the all time US high school list in Jack Shepard's HIGH SCHOOL TRACK annual. Shepard's first seven are:
1. Alan Webb 3:53.43 in 2001
2. Jim Ryun 3:55.3 in 1965
3. Tim Danielson 3:59.4 in 1966
4. Marty Liquori 3:59.8 in 1967
5. Donald Sage 4:00.29 in 2000
6. Steve Magness 4:01.02 in 2003
7. Gerry Lindgren 4:01.5 in 1964

The race was run to have a sub-4 minute mile on the 50th anniversary of Roger Bannister's historic breakthrough of the 4 minute barrier in 1954. Two Nike elite athletes did it -- Michael Stember 3:59.4 and Jason Lund 3:59.7 -- with regular daily workouts wrapped around the race. The race was hand timed with USATF officials.

Galen Rupp after the race

photos by Steve Bence

Rupp (black and green) approaches starting line with Nike elite athletes.

 

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