TOP ISLE of Wight runner Henry McLuckie can enjoy elite status as an athlete on the Island by breaking the four-minute mile in his first race of the new track season.

Henry is understood to have become the first Island athlete to achieve the landmark — made famous by Roger Bannister as the first to achieve the feat in 1953 — when he competed in the iconic Emsley Carr Mile, at Parliament Hill in North London.

Henry came ninth in a strong field at the annual invitational athletics running event, famously first won by Olympic silver medallist Gordon Pirie.

The 20-year-old, who went into the event straight after a hard working winter of races and training, came a creditable ninth in the prestigious race in a time of 3.59.24.

He is the first Islander this century to have beaten the four-minute mile barrier.

Isle of Wight County Press:

Many years ago, Islander Jonathan Blackledge missed out on the landmark in the 1980s by a second. 

Since the first event in 1953, all of the UK's middle distance athletes have competed, with Steve Ovett and Sebastian Coe among its winners.

This year's race, staged during the World Championships trials over 10,000m, was staged in front of a large crowd at the Blackheath track.

From the gun, the pace was super quick as the field of 14 athletes passed the first 400 yards in 57 seconds, with Henry positioned near the back of the field.

At the bell, Henry was still in the second half of the field, but a lung crunching last lap off the continued fast pace saw Henry rewarded with a sub four-minute mile.

Henry has a full track season ahead, with his next outing over the longer 5,000m in Oordegem, Belgium.