A virtual media frenzy during the previous week had raised expectations that the first four minute mile in New Zealand "was to happen in Wanganui", on Cooks Gardens on Saturday night!
The terraces were packed. The track had been protected and was in excellent order, and, a strong field of international and national-class faced the starter.
Snell's performance that night was a master class of middle distance running. It was a stunning display of power. It was outstanding. It was magic. As the lap times boomed out the crowed sensed that their expectations could be realised.
The murmurs rose to a chant. "Snell! Snell! Snell!" was the cry from thousands of throats.
Banging on the hoardings encircling the cycle track was a compelling addition to the variety of sounds that echoed around the arena. And now Snell was rocketing down the back strait, into the last curve, and up the last 100 yards to the tape.
I looked at my stop watch in disbelief. It was clear four minutes was broken and it was also clear the timekeepers were excited as they went into a huddle. I nodded to race commentator Norm Neilsen — a prearranged signal that the four-minute target had been bettered. Peter Snell was receiving congratulations from Doug Harris, New Zealand's outstanding middle distance runner in the late 1940s.
I managed to get Snell to the microphone for post-race comments. Despite his huge physical efforts of a few minutes ago he wouldn't have blown a match out! Things became somewhat chaotic from that point on. A world equalling time was announced to thunderous applause and then a little later a correction was made.
Snell had set a time of 3:54.4 — a new world record! That Saturday night in Wanganui became an indelible page in the city's sporting history.
Norm called me over. "They have had a request for an interview with Snell from the dedicated News theatre in Times Square in New York. There will be a film crew here at 10.30am. I think you should front it", he said.
On that cloudless Sunday morning to where a film crew were setting up for a "shoot".
Someone who looked in charge said "We'll have to wait as he is still finishing his workout. We just want his reaction to last night's race and his plans for attempts at more middle distance records. Got it!"
And there he was at the far end of the track cruising effortlessly through a series of 220 yards of sprints and jogs. Up close and stripped to a level of decency Snell was a powerfully-built athlete and more muscular than most other top middle distance runners of that era. Sir Peter Snell broke that mould by merging his speed with amazing endurance.
The film crew only asked for one (or perhaps it was two) "takes" and then we all went our separate ways. About a month later an envelope arrived from the NZ Broadcasting Corporation.
Enclosed was a letter thanking me for my services and a cheque for three guineas. This cheque might have been a useful memento to add to the recent Snell display at the Whanganui Museum. However I think the proceeds were spent on coffee and cake at a local expresso a few days later. Hopefully, in the intervening years between 1962 and 2019 it has given me a better appreciation of athletic history.
A great start to this new perspective was when thousands of us at Cooks Gardens on Saturday, January 27, 1962 had a once in a lifetime experience.
