The Day the Impossible Became Possible
When One Runner Changed the World by Changing His Mind
“The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win.”
— Roger Bannister
The Day the Impossible Became Possible
Chasing Influence: Transformational Coaching to Build Champions for Life
I'm thrilled to share that this story is just one of many powerful mindset shifts explored in my upcoming book, What's Your Juice? In it, we dive into how breakthroughs across history harness the power of belief to redefine what's possible — and how you can apply these same principles to your own life and leadership journey.
This week marks the anniversary of one of the most dramatic mindset shifts in human achievement. On May 6, 1954, a young medical student named Roger Bannister accomplished what experts insisted was physiologically impossible: he ran a mile in under four minutes.
For nearly two millennia — since the Romans first defined a mile as 1,000 paces — the four-minute threshold loomed as the ultimate human limitation. It wasn't just conventional wisdom; it was reported as scientific fact.
Medical journals published papers explaining why the human body simply couldn’t move that fast for that long. Newspapers boldly declared a sub-four-minute mile “impossible” and dismissed it as a “dream.”
Even the world's best runners consistently buckled near the 4:01 mark, succumbing to sudden cramps or unexplained fatigue in the final stretch. Their bodies followed the instructions their minds had been given, “This is the limit. You can go no further.”
Enter Roger Bannister — not the fastest runner of his time, but the boldest thinker.
Where others saw an impenetrable barrier, Bannister saw possibility.
It wasn’t superior physical gifts that set him apart — it was his mind.
When the athletic world said, “Impossible,” Bannister asked, “Why not me?”
After witnessing Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary summit Mount Everest — another so-called “impossible” achievement — Bannister’s conviction only grew.
If one human limitation could fall, why not another?
On that cold, wet, windy day in Oxford, Bannister stopped the clock at 3:59.4.
What happened next proves just how powerful breaking mental barriers can be. Just 46 days later, Australian runner John Landy also shattered the four-minute wall.
Within three years, sixteen more runners broke the mark once thought unattainable.
Today, what was once seen as beyond human capability is accomplished by collegiate athletes. Even elite high school runners now run under four minutes — with the current U.S. high school record standing at an astonishing 3:53.43.
What changed? Not human evolution. Not revolutionary training methods. Not better shoes or tracks.
What changed was belief.
Roger Bannister made a decision — a purpose-filled belief — that something was possible simply because he chose to believe it was.
His achievement didn’t just rewrite the record books; it rewired human expectations.
Energy that had once been trapped by doubt and fear was now unleashed, transforming into speed, strength, and stamina powered by new belief and possibility.
We all have “four-minute miles” in our lives — invisible barriers that seem unbreakable until someone, or something, reveals they are not.
What goal have you dismissed as “impossible” that might actually be within reach? Where might your own limiting beliefs be creating artificial barriers to your achievement? What could change if you adopted a Bannister mindset of purpose-filled belief?
The four-minute mile wasn’t broken by the world’s fastest man. It was broken by the man who most deeply believed it could be done.
Imagine the barriers we can break with the right beliefs.
“Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right.”
— Henry Ford
Connecting this quote to the story. Bannister’s belief that the four-minute mile was possible shattered a mental barrier that had held others back — proving that mindset, not physical limits, was the true obstacle.
Chasing Influence tip: Challenge “impossible” assumptions—especially your own.
If you enjoyed this story, a series of three Chasing Influence workbooks is available. Stories are accompanied by discussion questions and answers. Each workbook contains 33 lessons to use with any team.
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©Troy Urdahl, 2025