James Parrott and The Four-minute Mile
Some sources (notably Olympic medallist Peter Radford) contend that Goswell Road was the starting point for the first successful four-minute mile run, by James Parrott on 9 May 1770. Parrott's route began on Goswell Road, before turning down Old Street, finishing at St Leonard's, Shoreditch. Although timing methods at this time were - following the invention of the chronometer by John Harrison - accurate enough to measure the four minutes correctly, and sporting authorities of the time accepted the claim as genuine, the record is not recognised by modern sporting bodies.
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