Sir Roger Bannister described as “very special” his lifetime achievement honour at last night’s Oxfordshire Sports Awards.

It was 60 years ago that the 85-year-old ran the first sub-four-minute mile at Iffley Road.

And the feat was marked with a new award, beamed to a capacity crowd at the Kassam Stadium.

Bannister, who this year revealed he has Parkinson’s disease, was unable to attend on the night.

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But he was presented with a special trophy in advance by Oxford Mail sports editor Mark Edwards, and was thrilled to be honoured The former neurologist said: “This lifetime achievement award means so much to me because Oxford has been the centre of my life for so many years.

“It’s a wonderful to have a trophy like this to commemorate those years.

“It is a really great honour and I cannot thank people enough – it’s very special.”

The trophy rounds off a hectic year for Bannister, who marked the anniversary of his achievement by writing an autobiography called ‘Twin Tracks’.

“I came to Oxford in 1946 when I was 17 and a medical student, but realised with seven years of the course to go, I ought to find something else to get involved in,” he explained.

“I chose athletics and greatly enjoyed my connection with the sport, and especially the 1,500m, which I believe is the perfect distance because it encaptulates every aspect of running.”

Bannister knows he will be best remembered for the sub-four minute mile, but said his 1954 Commonwealth Games gold medal was the pinnacle of his athletics career.

“I am very fortunate to have a number of very special memories that I can look back upon very fondly,” he added.

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