Runners under 4 miles have increased longevity compared to the general population

A new study released to mark the 70th anniversary of Sir Roger Bannister’s 4-minute mile record has revealed that the first 200 runners to follow in his footsteps also have another remarkable trait.

The study by researchers in Australia and Canada found that 200 elite runners live an average of almost five years longer than the general population.

Professor Mark Haykowsky, Chair of Aging and Quality of Life Research in the School of Nursing at the University of Alberta, says the findings published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine demonstrate the vital importance of aerobic fitness.

Breaking his four-minute mile was an extraordinary achievement 70 years ago and revealed just what the human body is capable of. A wave of runners followed in Sir Roger’s mighty footsteps.

Remarkably, we found that like Sir Roger, who lived to the ripe old age of 88, most of the early runners also lived well into their 70s, 80s and most are alive and well today.”

Professor Mark Haykowsky, Aging and Quality of Life Research Chair at the University of Alberta School of Nursing

The multi-national team identified the health records of the first 200 people who completed the sub-four-minute mile. This included runners from the United Kingdom, Australia, France, New Zealand and the United States who were born between 1928 and 1955. All 200 runners are male and the majority were still alive.

Professor Andre La Gerche, a world-renowned sports cardiologist who directs the HEART Laboratory supported by the St Vincent’s Institute of Medical Research and the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Australia, says: “Our study aimed to see how exercise affected elite athletes. long term We know that elite athletes have larger hearts due to their continuous aerobic output and there was some belief that this could affect their health and longevity, but we found the opposite.

“Five years of extra life compared to the average is very significant, especially when we found that many of these runners were not only enjoying long lives but also being healthy.

“Not everyone needs to be able to run under four minutes to enjoy good health into old age, but they do need to exercise regularly and push themselves aerobically.”

The world record for the mile now stands at 3.43 and is held by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco. Ollie Hoare is the fastest Australian (3.47.48) and Kevin Sullivan holds the Canadian record (3.50.26) both set at the Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway. No female runner has yet broken the four-minute barrier. The women’s world record currently stands at 4:07.64, set by Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon in 2023.