Paul Collicutt Celebrates the 60th Anniversary of Bannister’s Mile
6 May 2014
It is sixty years exactly since Roger Bannister became the first man to break the four-minute mile barrier, and graphic novelist Paul Collicutt has been paying tribute to his achievement.
Collicutt, who is the author of The Murder Mile, a detective story that unfolds alongside the race to break the four-minute mile, has over the last week been tweeting watercolour portraits of every record-holder in the mile, from Walter George to Roger Bannister.
Athletics Weekly, which this week features profiles of the world’s greatest milers, illustrated by Paul Collicutt, is running a competition to win a copy of The Murder Mile. What’s more, winners will get their hands on a limited edition poster, which features portraits of the world’s greatest runners over the distance.
To enter, visit Athletics Weekly‘s website, and bring with you the answer to this question: Roger Bannister’s immortal 3:59.4 survived as the world record for little over a month, but who broke it and what was his time?
Here’s what the press said of The Murder Mile on its release last year:
“A beautifully illustrated detective story that unfolds alongside the race to break the four-minute mile. The Murder Mile is like Chariots of Fire as rewritten by Raymond Chandler, a mash-up that is completely delightful on the page.” The Guardian
“Collicutt’s watercolour artwork is a glorious tribute to the splashy élan of Fifties advertisements and cigarette cards, and there’s no shortage of impressive scene-setting, from widescreen sequences at the Normandy landings to evocative renderings of Jet Age streets, diners and stadiums.” The Telegraph
“An artistictriumph of suspense placed under the starter’s orders with an introduction by track legend Steve Ovett.” The Sun
