IT was one of the defining moments of 20th century sport. When a gangly 23-year-old club runner sprinted past the finish line and the clock showed 3 minutes 59 seconds, life changed inexorably for Harrow's most famous sporting son.

That was, of course, the first sub-four-minute mile and the man who wowed the world was none other than Harrow-born Sir Roger Bannister. Since that landmark day on May 6, 1954, Sir Roger has been decorated many times over, most notably receiving a knighthood for his services to sport. However, to mark the 50th anniversary of his incredible athletic feat, Sir Roger was finally honoured by the place he was born, when he was granted Freedom of the Borough by Harrow Council this week.

For a sporting superstar whose personal achievements leave mere mortals panting for breath in his slipstream, surely an award from the small town of his birth is little more than meaningless? Sir Roger disagreed.

"To have the Freedom of the Borough conferred on me is an enormous honour, one of the highlights of my life. I feel my roots are in Harrow after spending such a happy childhood here," he said.

Baby Roger was born in a terraced house in Butler Road in 1929. The Bannisters then moved to nearby Whitmore Road when Roger was just five. He enjoyed an idyllic time in Harrow, and recalls a carefree life where sport played a leading role. He said: "Harrow was very different then. We lived in the last road in that part of the suburb which backed onto the West Harrow Recreation Ground. There were fields and open space where we played all the time. I always loved running but we also played a lot of football."

It took World War II to part young Roger from Harrow. Aged ten he was evacuated to Bath. Sir Roger still has vivid memories of his final days in Harrow, before the advent of the war brought an end to his childhood innocence. He said: "I was sailing a boat at the recreation ground when the first siren for World War II went off. I still remember it as if it were yesterday."

Sir Roger attended West Harrow Elementary School, in Vaughan Road, which has since been knocked down. His first ever athletics meeting was representing his school in locally arranged running races. Again, Sir Roger's memory is unnerving. He said: "I must have been seven or eight. We travelled to a bigger field in Wealdstone and competed against other schools in the area." Even as a boy Sir Roger won most of his races, standing out from the other boys because of his talent and gracefully languid running style that would one day captivate millions around the world.

However, the move to Bath did not signal the end of the attachment to Harrow. When travelling back from Bath, the super-fit youngster eschewed public transport, preferring to take the scenic route home to visit his parents. He said: "I would gather my things into a back-pack and cycle all the way from the south west to Harrow. I thought nothing of it. I loved it."

After the war, Sir Roger finished his education, going on to study medicine at Exeter College, Oxford. Although he is unquestionably a Harrow man, Oxford is perhaps where his heart lies. It was in Oxford that Sir Roger ran his perfect mile, fixing the world's gaze on an old cinder running track at Iffley Road. Since that fateful day, the university town has held a magnetic draw for Sir Roger and his family. When he qualified as a doctor, he stayed in Oxford to take a masters degree at Merton College before becoming a consultant neurologist. He still lives in the area with his wife, and has four children and 14 grandchildren, nine of whom live near him in Oxford.

Sir Roger received his knighthood in 1975. The running track around Bannister Sports Ground was generously paid for by Sir Roger, who donated royalties from sales of his autobiography, to be re-released this year.