In the mid-20th century, breaking the four-minute mile was considered an insurmountable feat. Then came Roger Bannister in 1954, who shattered that barrier and changed the landscape of middle-distance running forever. But what if this extraordinary athletic achievement had effects that went beyond the track?
This question sparked a study, Outrunning the grim reaper: Longevity of the first 200 sub-four-minute mile runners, that delved into the longevity of the first 200 runners to break the four-minute mile….
On average, these sub-four-minute milers lived 4.7 years longer than their predicted life expectancy and most hit their mile at the age of 23.
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“The earliest milers from the 50s lived 9 years longer,” [Stephen Foulkes one of the researchers on the study] shared, compared to about 5.5 years for those in the 1960s and 2.9 years for the 1970s cohort. This trend suggests that advancements in healthcare might be narrowing the longevity gap, as modern medical treatments and diagnostic techniques compensate for some of the benefits previously attributed to intense physical training.
