The Peter Snell exhibit currently on show at the Whanganui Regional Museum has brought back memories of an exciting historic night for former New Zealand cycling coach Ron Cheatley.
Mr Cheatley was a 14-year-old novice racing cyclist when Snell broke the world mile record at Cooks Gardens on 27 January 1962 in front of a crowd of 15,000 people. As well as athletics events, there were cycling races on the programme.
"I'd only been riding for about two weeks and my dad said I wasn't allowed to race at Cooks Gardens that night because I was too inexperienced," Mr Cheatley said.
"So I was hanging over the railings watching Peter Snell's race. Everyone thought it was going to rain all that day, it was really warm and humid and there were black clouds all around. There were people everywhere in Cooks Gardens that night, right up the hill around the bell tower."
Mr Cheatley has kept his father's event programme from the night. The late Les Cheatley was an assistant judge for the cycling races and got Snell's signature on his programme after he broke the world record. Mr Cheatley also has a photograph of the participants in the mile race, signed by each of the athletes.