IT WAS the greatest barrier in sport - a feat that was said to be impossible, that no one had ever achieved before despite countless attempts.

But on a blustery evening on May, 6, 1954 in Iffley, three minutes and 59.4 seconds in the life of a promising young doctor changed all that forever.

An hour before the race’s 6pm start, an attempt on the record was said to be futile due to wind and rain battering the track.

But miraculously, the weather suddenly changed and Sir Roger was persuaded to give it a go with his pacers Chris Brasher, a founder of the London Marathon, and Chris Chataway.

As he came around for his last lap he was on his own and Austrian coach Franz Stampfl shouted at him to ‘go all out’.

The crowd sensed the 4 minutes 1.2 seconds record set by Swede Gundar Haegg was under threat and started to swarm the track and football field in the centre.

As he crossed the line, cementing his place in the history books, the Oxford Mail’s Syd Cox reported: “Everyone went mad with excitement and many chanted almost deliriously he’s done it, he’s done it.”

Author Benedict Le Vay, who has written about that day, said the announcement of the results were cut short by the deafening roar of the crowd as soon as the words ‘three minutes’ were uttered.

He added: “It is tempting to say we will never see the like of Sir Roger Bannister again - we will, Oxford does that to people, in different ways.

“But we will never experience again the heady excitement of that stupendous first in 1954.”

Sir Roger only actually held the record for 46 days before his rival Australian John Landy ran 3 minutes 57.9 seconds in Finland.

But Jon Roycroft, the Director of Sport at Oxford University, feels his feat will never be surpassed in terms of its importance for the sport.

He said: “It is ridiculous really, to do it in a pair of old shoes, without all the modern training regimes and nutrition we have now.

“It certainly ranks up there as one of the greatest sporting achievements.”

Mr Roycroft said that all new runners who join the university’s athletic club are keenly aware of the history of the Iffley Road track, now named after Sir Roger Bannister.

The world-renowned reputation of the venue has spurred on many an aspiring athlete, according to Mr Roycroft.

Emma Carter-Biggs, the chair of Headington Road Runners, who train on the Iffley Road track, said there is a ‘thrill and excitement’ when running there.

She added: “Although few of us can match his incredible record; having the opportunity to run at the iconic Iffley Road track means that for a brief moment, we can run in the footsteps of the great man himself.

“Sir Roger’s achievements may be beyond most of us, but they continue to be the benchmark that so many of us to strive for.

“His name and legacy will live on, and continue to inspire runners for years to come.”