Neal saw that Leather had the potential to perform well in longer races, however at the time the longest recognised event in women's athletics was the 200-metre race. This limit had been adopted after false media reports that six women collapsed at the finish line in an 800-metre race at the 1928 Olympics.[6][7][8] Nevertheless, Neal coached Leather for racing the mile and the following year, she broke the world best time, running a mile in 5:02.6. Her achievement was labelled "world best" rather than "world record" by the IAAF as the distance was not officially recognised for a further 15 years.
On 29 May 1954, Leather broke the 5-minute barrier with a time of 4 minutes and 59.6 seconds during the Midlands Women's AAA Championships at Birmingham's Alexander Sports Ground.[9][10] Coincidentally, it was only 23 days since Roger Bannister had become the first man to run a sub 4-minute mile, 100 km away. In 1955, Leather broke the mile record by a further 15 seconds, achieving her personal best of 4:45.[11] This remained the world record for seven years until New Zealand's Marise Chamberlain ran 4:41.4 in 1962.[3]
Leather won two European Championship silver medals at 800 metres: at the 1954 event in Bern, she was second behind the Soviet Union's Nina Otkalenko in 2:09.8, while at the 1958 event in Stockholm, she was second to another Soviet, Yelizaveta Yermolayeva, running 2:06.6. She was also a two-time winner of the women's race at the International Cross Country Championships in 1954 and 1955, and won the national cross country women's title four times.[3][12]
She married Peter Charles, an industrial engineer turned financial consultant, in 1959, and competed in her final competition, the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, as Diane Charles.[13][4] She was eliminated in the heats of the 800 metres, in 2:14.24. She held the British record for 1500m for 11 years and held claim to the world mark in the mile for 8 years in total.
Personal lifeedit
Charles retired from athletics at the age of 27 and lived in Cornwall for the remainder of her life.[3] She worked for child protection agencies and was a volunteer for Cruse Bereavement Care and Samaritans.[2] She was married for more than 55 years—her husband died in 2017[4]—and had four children and 13 grandchildren.[14] She died on 5 September 2018,[2] aged 85,[1][14] in Truro, Cornwall. She had recently suffered a stroke.[4]
Referencesedit
^ ab"Mile legend Diane Leather dies - Athletics Weekly". Athletics Weekly. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
^ abcd"A pioneer of women's running and the first female to run a sub-five-minute mile,I Diane Leather, has died - Runner's World". www.runnersworld.co.uk. 7 September 2018. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
^ abcdSmith, Harrison (13 September 2018). "Diane Leather, first woman to run a mile in under five minutes, dies at 85". The Washington Post.
^Ingle, Sean (25 May 2014). "Sixty years ago Diane Leather smashed world record but not sex barrier | Sean Ingle". The Guardian. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
^""Eleven Wretched Women"". Runner's World. 14 May 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
^Jobling, Ian (2006). "The Women's 800 Metres Track Event Post 1928: Quo Vadis?"" (PDF). Journal of Olympic History. 14 (1): 43–47 – via International Society of Olympic Historians.
^Padnani, Amisha (12 September 2018). "Diane Leather, 85, First Woman to Run Mile in Under 5 Minutes, Dies". Obituaries. The New York Times. Retrieved 8 July 2019.
^"Athletics photographic encyclopedia, athlete, olympic games, world championship, european championship & hero images by". Sporting-heroes.net. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
^. The Independent. London. Archived from the original on 12 April 2011. Retrieved 17 October 2013.
^Sears, Edward Seldon (2001). "The Modern Superstars (1950-2000)". Running Through the Ages. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 283. ISBN9780786409716.
^International Cross Country Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 3 April 2015.
^Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. . Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2017.
^ abRobinson, Roger (7 September 2018). "Diane Leather Charles, First Woman to Break 5-Minute Mile, Dies at 85". Runner's World. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
diane, leather, diane, leather, charles, january, 1933, september, 2018, english, athlete, first, woman, minute, mile, personal, informationfull, name, charlesborn, 1933, january, 1933streetly, staffordshire, englanddied5, september, 2018, 2018, aged, truro, c. Diane S Leather Charles 7 January 1933 5 September 2018 was an English athlete who was the first woman to run a sub 5 minute mile 1 Diane LeatherPersonal informationFull nameDiane Leather CharlesBorn 1933 01 07 7 January 1933Streetly Staffordshire EnglandDied5 September 2018 2018 09 05 aged 85 Truro Cornwall EnglandMedal record Women s athleticsRepresenting Great BritainEuropean Championships1954 Bern 800 metres1958 Stockholm 800 metres Contents 1 Early life 2 Athletic career 3 Personal life 4 References 5 External linksEarly life editLeather was born in Streetly Staffordshire 2 She was one of six children and the only daughter of Mabel nee Barringer and James Leather a surgeon 2 She played lacrosse as a child and watching the 1952 Summer Olympics sparked her interest in athletics 3 While studying chemistry at the Birmingham College of Technology now Aston University she joined the Birchfield Harriers athletics club in Birmingham and was coached by Doris Nelson Neal 4 She later worked as an analytical chemist at the University of Birmingham 5 Athletic career editNeal saw that Leather had the potential to perform well in longer races however at the time the longest recognised event in women s athletics was the 200 metre race This limit had been adopted after false media reports that six women collapsed at the finish line in an 800 metre race at the 1928 Olympics 6 7 8 Nevertheless Neal coached Leather for racing the mile and the following year she broke the world best time running a mile in 5 02 6 Her achievement was labelled world best rather than world record by the IAAF as the distance was not officially recognised for a further 15 years On 29 May 1954 Leather broke the 5 minute barrier with a time of 4 minutes and 59 6 seconds during the Midlands Women s AAA Championships at Birmingham s Alexander Sports Ground 9 10 Coincidentally it was only 23 days since Roger Bannister had become the first man to run a sub 4 minute mile 100 km away In 1955 Leather broke the mile record by a further 15 seconds achieving her personal best of 4 45 11 This remained the world record for seven years until New Zealand s Marise Chamberlain ran 4 41 4 in 1962 3 Leather won two European Championship silver medals at 800 metres at the 1954 event in Bern she was second behind the Soviet Union s Nina Otkalenko in 2 09 8 while at the 1958 event in Stockholm she was second to another Soviet Yelizaveta Yermolayeva running 2 06 6 She was also a two time winner of the women s race at the International Cross Country Championships in 1954 and 1955 and won the national cross country women s title four times 3 12 She married Peter Charles an industrial engineer turned financial consultant in 1959 and competed in her final competition the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome as Diane Charles 13 4 She was eliminated in the heats of the 800 metres in 2 14 24 She held the British record for 1500m for 11 years and held claim to the world mark in the mile for 8 years in total Personal life editCharles retired from athletics at the age of 27 and lived in Cornwall for the remainder of her life 3 She worked for child protection agencies and was a volunteer for Cruse Bereavement Care and Samaritans 2 She was married for more than 55 years her husband died in 2017 4 and had four children and 13 grandchildren 14 She died on 5 September 2018 2 aged 85 1 14 in Truro Cornwall She had recently suffered a stroke 4 References edit a b Mile legend Diane Leather dies Athletics Weekly Athletics Weekly 7 September 2018 Retrieved 8 September 2018 a b c d Diane Leather obituary The Guardian a b c d A pioneer of women s running and the first female to run a sub five minute mile I Diane Leather has died Runner s World www runnersworld co uk 7 September 2018 Retrieved 8 September 2018 a b c d Smith Harrison 13 September 2018 Diane Leather first woman to run a mile in under five minutes dies at 85 The Washington Post Ingle Sean 25 May 2014 Sixty years ago Diane Leather smashed world record but not sex barrier Sean Ingle The Guardian Retrieved 8 September 2018 Eleven Wretched Women Runner s World 14 May 2012 Retrieved 17 August 2023 Jobling Ian 2006 The Women s 800 Metres Track Event Post 1928 Quo Vadis PDF Journal of Olympic History 14 1 43 47 via International Society of Olympic Historians Padnani Amisha 12 September 2018 Diane Leather 85 First Woman to Run Mile in Under 5 Minutes Dies Obituaries The New York Times Retrieved 8 July 2019 Athletics photographic encyclopedia athlete olympic games world championship european championship amp hero images by Sporting heroes net Retrieved 17 October 2013 50 Years Ago Roger Bannister Became a Sporting Legend with his Four Minute Mile Why is his Female Equivalent Just Seen as an Also Ran The Independent London Archived from the original on 12 April 2011 Retrieved 17 October 2013 Sears Edward Seldon 2001 The Modern Superstars 1950 2000 Running Through the Ages Jefferson North Carolina McFarland amp Company Inc p 283 ISBN 9780786409716 International Cross Country Championships GBR Athletics Retrieved on 3 April 2015 Evans Hilary Gjerde Arild Heijmans Jeroen Mallon Bill et al Diane Charles Olympic Results Olympics at Sports Reference com Sports Reference LLC Archived from the original on 18 April 2020 Retrieved 16 October 2017 a b Robinson Roger 7 September 2018 Diane Leather Charles First Woman to Break 5 Minute Mile Dies at 85 Runner s World Retrieved 9 September 2018 External links editDiane Leather at Olympics com nbsp Diane Leather at Olympedia nbsp Almost the 5 Minute Mile Pathe newsreel featuring Leather 31 May 1954RecordsPreceded byAnne Oliver Women s mile world record holder30 September 1953 1 November 195326 May 1954 8 December 1962 Succeeded byEdith TreybalPreceded byEdith Treybal Succeeded byMarise Chamberlain Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Diane Leather amp oldid 1193746920, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
