The Olympics of AI: Benchmarking Machine Learning Systems
For years, running a mile in under four minutes was considered not just a daunting challenge, but by many an impossible feat. It was a psychological and physical benchmark that many thought was unattainable. Doctors and sports experts theorized that the human body was not capable of running that fast for that long. This belief was so ingrained that some even suggested attempting to do so could be fatal.
Sir Roger Bannister, a British middle-distance runner and medical student, thought differently. While he recognized the challenge, he believed that the barrier was more psychological than physiological. Bannister took a scientific approach to his training, breaking down the mile into sections and rigorously timing each one. He also employed a rigorous training regimen based on interval training and set smaller benchmarks for himself in the lead-up to his record attempt.
On May 6, 1954, at a track in Oxford, England, with the help of his friends Chris Brasher and Chris Chataway as pacemakers, Bannister made his attempt to break the four-minute barrier. He completed the mile in 3 minutes 59.4 seconds, shattering the threshold and making history.
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