My athleticism was really the core to social acceptance, because in those days the overwhelming number of students came from more of a public school background than I did.

My introduction to track racing was through the background of cross country running, which is not a sport perhaps as popular in America as it is in England.

Athletics is a luxury.

It's amazing that more people have climbed Mount Everest than have broken the 4-minute mile.

I wanted to be a neurologist. That seemed to be the most difficult, most intriguing, and the most important aspect of medicine, which had links with psychology, aggression, behavior, and human affairs.

I raced supremely well. I felt I was as well fitted to do it as I had ever been, and as perhaps I might ever be. I went climbing three weeks before, because I was feeling fed up with running.

Every time I ran the mile I was aware of my own weakness, there was some opponent who could give me a hell of a fight, so I never went into a race with a sense of invincibility. I always had that feeling of fragility and nerves which made me run faster.