John Hartnett's first sub four minute mile at the Cork City Sports will never be forgotten

EARLIER in this year of 2024 the athletics world marked a significant anniversary - arguably one of the greatest moments in sport – when, on May 6, 1954 at the Iffley Road track in Oxford, Roger Bannister ran the mile in 3:59.4.

Two years ago at the MTU, when the Cork City Sports were last held, Cathal Doyle led four runners under four minutes when winning the classic event in 3:56.35. 

This brought the total of ‘sub-fours’ at Cork to 142, amongst them some of the most famous exponents over the four-lap distance.

The two fastest times came in 1982 when Sydney Maree pipped future world record holder Steve Cram by less than a half-second, both getting inside 3:50 with their respective times of 3:49.42 and 3:49.90.

But like Bannister’s iconic mark, the first is always remembered. 

It’s hard to believe that a half-century has elapsed since that magical July evening in 1974, on the old grass track at the Mardyke, when John Hartnett from Ballyhooly achieved Cork’s first sub-four on a never to be forgotten occasion.

It was the Grange athlete’s third appearance at the Cork City Sports. 

He had finished second to Ian Stewart over 5000m in 1972 and the following year – having broken Ron Delany’s 15-year-old Irish record with a time of 3:54.7 at Eugene, Oregon - he failed by just seven tenths of a second to break four minutes at the Mardyke.

On that memorable night where a cold wind made conditions difficult, Hartnett was paced through the first lap by Tony O’Leary of Leevale. 

Tom Gregan and a young Eamonn Coghlan – both fellow students of Hartnett’s at Villanova – then took over as the halfway was reached in 1:57.5.

At the bell, the time showed 2:56.2 and amidst the deafening cheers the tall elegant figure in the Grange AC singlet powered around the final circuit to cross the line in 3:56.3, still one of the fastest times achieved anywhere on a grass track.

Nine Cork athletes in all have achieved the feat of running a mile under four minutes: Mark Carroll 3:50.62; Marcus O’Sullivan 3:50.94 indoors; Ciarán Ó’Lionáird 3:52:10 indoors; Charlie O’Donovan 3:54.16 indoors; John Hartnett 3:54.7; Ken Nason 3:58.09; Darragh McElhinney 3:58.15; Des English 3:58.71; Kieran Stack 3:59.4 indoors.

You could say that John Hartnett was a man for all seasons and all surfaces. In March of 1970, at the International Cross-Country Championships held at Vichy in France, he became the first Irish athlete since Tim Smythe 39 years before to win a major international title over the country.

His main opposition in the junior race came from Jack Lane of England but the Ballyhooly man was well up to the task and to the delight of the small Irish attendance crossed the line with eight seconds to spare over Lane with Eric De Beck of Belgium – who would win the senior race in 1974 – well back in third.

Following that famous victory, Hartnett gained an athletics scholarship to Villanova University. Two years later, he established an Irish 5,000m record of 13:43.0 and the same year competed for Ireland at the Munich Olympics.

On the indoor circuit in 1974 - six months before his Mardyke appearance - he was in brilliant form. 

On a Saturday night in January at the Knights of Columbus Games in New York he ran the fifth fastest time on record for two miles when covering the 22 indoor laps in 8:26.6.

Hartnett’s dominance on the boards of North America continued the following month. 

At the Maple Leaf Indoor Games in Toronto before a packed attendance of over 16,000 fans, he ran the first sub-four-minute indoor mile witnessed in Canada.

His 3:59.6 was achieved ahead of a glittering field which included the current and future Olympic 1500m champions, Pekka Vasala of Finland and John Walker from New Zealand.

He finished off that 1974 indoor season by winning the NCAA indoor two-mile championship in a meet record of 8:33.6 and added the IC4A title over the same distance in a similar time of 8:33.2.