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| Diane Leather, 85, First Woman to Run Mile in Under 5 Minutes, Dies | Diane Leather, 85, First Woman to Run Mile in Under 5 Minutes, Dies |
| (8 days later) | |
| Diane Leather, who was the first woman recorded to have run a mile in under five minutes but whose feat — like women’s distance running in general at the time — was not officially recognized by the track and field establishment, died on Sept. 5 in Truro, Cornwall, England. She was 85. | |
| The cause was a stroke, her son Matthew Charles said. | The cause was a stroke, her son Matthew Charles said. |
| Leather was working as a chemist at Birmingham University in 1952 when she saw a television broadcast of the women’s 100-meter and 200-meter track events at the Helsinki Olympics. | Leather was working as a chemist at Birmingham University in 1952 when she saw a television broadcast of the women’s 100-meter and 200-meter track events at the Helsinki Olympics. |
| “I thought I’d love to do that,” she told The Great Barr Observer, a newspaper in Birmingham, England, in 2014. | “I thought I’d love to do that,” she told The Great Barr Observer, a newspaper in Birmingham, England, in 2014. |
| She joined a local running group called the Birchfield Harriers, whose coach, admiring her speed, encouraged her to try longer distances. Soon, the goal of breaking five minutes became “something of a holy grail for her,” her husband, Peter Charles, said in a written account of her career. | She joined a local running group called the Birchfield Harriers, whose coach, admiring her speed, encouraged her to try longer distances. Soon, the goal of breaking five minutes became “something of a holy grail for her,” her husband, Peter Charles, said in a written account of her career. |
| Leather wasn’t the only one with that goal: The race for a woman to break the five-minute mile was fierce, despite the lack of official recognition. | Leather wasn’t the only one with that goal: The race for a woman to break the five-minute mile was fierce, despite the lack of official recognition. |
| In September 1953, Anne Oliver of Britain finished in 5:08.0, a record. Later that month, Leather beat that time with 5:02.6. Two months later it was Edith Treybal, from Romania, with 5:00.3. On May 26, 1954, Leather surpassed that mark by a hair, finishing at 5:00.2. | In September 1953, Anne Oliver of Britain finished in 5:08.0, a record. Later that month, Leather beat that time with 5:02.6. Two months later it was Edith Treybal, from Romania, with 5:00.3. On May 26, 1954, Leather surpassed that mark by a hair, finishing at 5:00.2. |
| Three days later, on May 29, 1954, in a meet at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, Leather was ready to make another attempt. With the starter’s gun echoing across the track, she jetted ahead of the pack. | Three days later, on May 29, 1954, in a meet at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, Leather was ready to make another attempt. With the starter’s gun echoing across the track, she jetted ahead of the pack. |
| “I was really on my own,” she recalled later. “There were no pacemakers or anything.” | “I was really on my own,” she recalled later. “There were no pacemakers or anything.” |
| With a final surge, she broke the tape at 4:59.6. | With a final surge, she broke the tape at 4:59.6. |
| “Oh, good,” she said matter-of-factly when told what her time was. “At last.” | “Oh, good,” she said matter-of-factly when told what her time was. “At last.” |
| The New York Times hailed her achievement, describing her as a 5-foot-10 “good-looking laboratory analyst.” | The New York Times hailed her achievement, describing her as a 5-foot-10 “good-looking laboratory analyst.” |
| “A five-minute mile in women’s track and field has been looked upon as the sport’s greatest goal,” The Times wrote. | “A five-minute mile in women’s track and field has been looked upon as the sport’s greatest goal,” The Times wrote. |
| She set her record 23 days after another Briton, Roger Bannister, broke the four-minute mile for men. But unlike Bannister, who died in March, Leather would not find a place in the world record books. Instead she earned the unofficial title “world’s best.” | |
| At the time, the sport’s governing body, the International Amateur Athletics Federation, did not keep track of women’s distances greater than 800 meters. | At the time, the sport’s governing body, the International Amateur Athletics Federation, did not keep track of women’s distances greater than 800 meters. |
| That policy originated with an incident at the Amsterdam Olympics in 1928, when a women’s 800-meter event was included in the Games for the first time. Six women collapsed on crossing the finish line, setting off an outcry. | That policy originated with an incident at the Amsterdam Olympics in 1928, when a women’s 800-meter event was included in the Games for the first time. Six women collapsed on crossing the finish line, setting off an outcry. |
| The distance, The Times said, was “too great a call on feminine strength.” The London Daily Mail quoted doctors as saying that such “feats of endurance” would cause women to “become old too soon.” | The distance, The Times said, was “too great a call on feminine strength.” The London Daily Mail quoted doctors as saying that such “feats of endurance” would cause women to “become old too soon.” |
| The women’s 800-meter Olympic event was discontinued and not reinstated until 1960, in Rome. Until then the longest race in which women could compete in the Olympic games was 200 meters. | The women’s 800-meter Olympic event was discontinued and not reinstated until 1960, in Rome. Until then the longest race in which women could compete in the Olympic games was 200 meters. |
| In 1955, Leather twice improved her own time, finishing in 4:50.8 in May and in 4:45.0 in September. She held the unofficial record for seven years. | In 1955, Leather twice improved her own time, finishing in 4:50.8 in May and in 4:45.0 in September. She held the unofficial record for seven years. |
| She also broke world records for women in the 440-yard, 800-meter and 880-yard relay events. And she twice won silver medals in the 800-meter event at the European championships. She won the English National Cross Country Championships four times and the individual International Cross Country Championships three times. | She also broke world records for women in the 440-yard, 800-meter and 880-yard relay events. And she twice won silver medals in the 800-meter event at the European championships. She won the English National Cross Country Championships four times and the individual International Cross Country Championships three times. |
| Diane Susan Leather was born on Jan. 7, 1933, in Streetly, Staffordshire, England, to James Bertrand Leather, a surgeon, and Mabel Winifred (Barringer) Leather. She had five brothers. | Diane Susan Leather was born on Jan. 7, 1933, in Streetly, Staffordshire, England, to James Bertrand Leather, a surgeon, and Mabel Winifred (Barringer) Leather. She had five brothers. |
| She married Mr. Charles in 1959. At the 1960 Rome Olympics, she ran as Diane Charles in a preliminary heat in the 800 but did not advance. She retired from competitive running that year, at 27, and had her first child in 1961. | She married Mr. Charles in 1959. At the 1960 Rome Olympics, she ran as Diane Charles in a preliminary heat in the 800 but did not advance. She retired from competitive running that year, at 27, and had her first child in 1961. |
| She later earned a college degree in social work and was employed for many years at Cruse Bereavement Care, a nonprofit agency in Cornwall. | She later earned a college degree in social work and was employed for many years at Cruse Bereavement Care, a nonprofit agency in Cornwall. |
| Her husband died in 2017. In addition to her son Matthew, she is survived by two other sons, Hamish and Rufus; a daughter, Lindsey Armstrong; three brothers; and 13 grandchildren. | Her husband died in 2017. In addition to her son Matthew, she is survived by two other sons, Hamish and Rufus; a daughter, Lindsey Armstrong; three brothers; and 13 grandchildren. |
| It wasn’t until 1967 that the I.A.A.F. recognized the women’s mile as a competitive world-record event. The record went to Anne Rosemary Smith, who finished that June in 4:37.0. The current women’s mile record is 4:12.56, set by Svetlana Masterkova of Russia in 1996. | It wasn’t until 1967 that the I.A.A.F. recognized the women’s mile as a competitive world-record event. The record went to Anne Rosemary Smith, who finished that June in 4:37.0. The current women’s mile record is 4:12.56, set by Svetlana Masterkova of Russia in 1996. |
| Leather was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2014, a trophy presented to the female winner of the annual Westminster Mile race was named in her honor. | Leather was inducted into the England Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013. In 2014, a trophy presented to the female winner of the annual Westminster Mile race was named in her honor. |
| When asked if she had ever resented not being officially recognized as a world record-holder for the mile, she told The Birmingham Post and Mail in 2004, “There is no way.” | When asked if she had ever resented not being officially recognized as a world record-holder for the mile, she told The Birmingham Post and Mail in 2004, “There is no way.” |
| “It was something I accepted,” she said. | “It was something I accepted,” she said. |