The first sprinters to conquer the four-minute mile enjoyed longer lives.
Sir Roger Bannister became the first man to run a mile in less than four minutes in 1954
To mark the 70th anniversary of the late Sir Roger Bannister becoming the first man to accomplish the feat, experts tracked down the medical records of the first 200 runners worldwide to do likewise - most of whom are now aged in their seventies or eighties - and found that they outlived the general population by five years.
Authors of the study, which has been published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, say that it underlines the importance of aerobic exercise for those who want to live a long and healthy life.
Professor Mark Haykowsky, from the University of Alberta, said: "Breaking the four-minute mile was an extraordinary achievement 70 years ago and revealed just what the human body can achieve. It set off a wave of runners following in Sir Roger's mighty footsteps.
"Remarkably, we found that, like Sir Roger, who lived to the ripe old age of 88, most of the first runners also lived well into their seventies and eighties, and a majority are alive and healthy today."