Sir Roger Bannister clutched the Olympic Torch today on the same track in which he enjoyed his finest hour 58 years ago.
He returned to Oxford's Iffley Road stadium to carry the Torch 17 days ahead of London 2012 and graced the same track in which he ran one of sport's most iconic mile runs.
At the track - now renamed in honour of the famous middle distance runner - the athlete broke the magical four-minute mile barrier on a balmy evening on May 6, 1954.
Sir Roger told the Press Association: "It's an honour to be included in a list of torch carriers which has included injured soldiers back from Afghanistan and other places, and I'm glad that it's taking place on this track in Oxford where I ran the four-minute mile in 1954.
"It brings back happy memories and it also brings back some remembering of the weather. Today it looks like it might rain and that day the weather was so bad that I nearly decided not to attempt it.
"In retrospect I'm glad because if I hadn't attempted it that day I might not have had another chance.
"In a way I'm back in the sport that I belong to. I spent 10 years training before I broke the four-minute mile. I send my best wishes to all those who are training now and are competing in the Olympics in London."