Doctor and legendary runner. An appreciation by Doug Gillon

A MAN most famous for what he achieved in less than four minutes must have been profoundly frustrated that it overshadowed a lifetime of ground-breaking scientific achievements in which he risked his life to help his fellow man.

I put this to Sir Roger Bannister during the last of several interviews I was privileged to conduct with this doyen among British sporting icons. It was on the 60th anniversary of his greatest race – not that sub-four-minute mile at Oxford, but the 1954 Empire Games mile, in Vancouver.

It did not frustrate him at all. "I accept that as inevitable," he said. "Medicine is a long and slow process . . . And then I combined clinical work – seeing patients – with some research work. I have no qualms about saying my medical life was more important than my sporting life, though that's not the way outsiders might see it."

His medical career included research which involved injecting himself with bacteria in an attempt to identify the cause of Army deaths (from hyperpyrexia) in hot climates. He ended the experiment when his temperature reached 103. "What I did would not be tolerated today," he admitted. This was when on national service with the Royal Army Medical Corps, in Aden, barely a year after retiring from athletics.

His findings were accepted by the Army, and written up in Lancet. Fatalities fell as a result, he confirmed.

His greatest career moment? "There were two: passing the examination to be a physician, and when I was appointed to a consultancy post in London at two top hospitals [St Mary's and the National Hospital]. That was the most important one."

Part of Bannister's charm was an old-world chivalry now almost absent from athletics. It was exemplified when we spoke about his head-to-head at the 1954 Empire Games against John Landy. Just 46 days after the four-minute race, the Australian relieved Bannister of the world mark by a massive 1.4 seconds, lowering it to 3min 58.00sec.

With miling's Holy Grail secure for eternity, was Bannister not tempted to decline the Vancouver showdown? He seemed almost scandalised at the suggestion. "There was never any question of my not accepting that challenge. He had broken my record and there was only room for one of us at the top. The Empire Games would settle that."

He was anxious to avoid a slow race "which would be no satisfaction either to us or spectators."

I observed it was inconceivable to imagine modern championship contenders entertaining such a thought. "But I think the race is the thing," he replied. "I don't think time-trials are of great importance - either my time trial [the four-minute mile] or his [Landy's world record, also paced].

"I had an overall view of the sport and did not want spectators to be let down, and they would have been if the time had been 4.05. I would still have won, but spectators would have felt they'd missed something."

Entering the home straight, Landy glanced over his left shoulder. Bannister was two yards clear when the Australian turned his eyes to the front again. He had triumphed in The Miracle Mile, then the most-hyped race in history, and the first time two men had broken four minutes in the same race. A bronze statue in Vancouver marks the moment.

Landy told Bannister: "Lot's wife was turned into a pillar of salt for looking back. I'm the first person to be turned into bronze."

Now Laura Muir combines an intensive course as a Glasgow vet student with athletics. She won World Indoor 1500m silver the day after Bannister died. She says she was inspired by Sir Roger. His legacy continues to prevail.