Photograph showing the start of that historic race at Iffley Road, Oxford. Tom Hulatt is far left, next to him is Chris Chataway, then Roger Bannister, then Alan Gordon. Second from the right is Chris Brasher, who acted as pacemaker for the record attempt, and nearest to the camera is George Dole.
On the 6th May 1954, in an athletics match between teams representing the Amateur Athletic Association and Oxford University Athletic Club on the Iffley Road track, Roger Bannister became the first person ever to run a mile inside four minutes. The breaking of the four-minute barrier drew world-wide acclaim and captivated the public imagination just as news of the first ascent of Everest by Hillary and Tenzing had done almost a year before.
Tom's recollections of the race were reported in an article in the Sunday Express, June 12th 1988, and in an interview with his sister Ann which featured in an article in the Derby Evening Telegraph on Thursday, May 5th 1994.
Ann recalled "He was the only non-student in the big race......Tom was invited because he was Northern Champion, but nationally he was unknown......I remember Tom telling us about the tense atmosphere in the dressing room on that night in 1954 as Bannister and the others discussed an attempt on the record. The race was really too early for Tom. He usually aimed to peak around August and hadn't been training all that long....My brother Harry was at the race and I think he was more excited than Tom at what had happened".
Tom stated in the Sunday Express article "It was the most memorable race I ever ran and I remember all the details. I knew the record attempt was on because Bannister asked me to keep out of his way on the first two laps.....It was an exhilarating night and I was proud to have taken part in such a historic race".
Tom Hulatt came third in a time of 4min. 16secs. Whilst the crowd mobbed Roger Bannister in celebration of his new world record Tom left the track quietly. The moment in history was justifiably Bannister's.