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Story: Whanganui region

Peter Snell

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Peter Snell

On 27 January 1962, 23-year-old Peter Snell set a new world record for running a mile – 3 minutes, 54.4 seconds – at Cooks Gardens in Whanganui. He had already achieved fame for his victory in the 800 metres at the Rome Olympics in 1960.

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Whanganui Regional Museum

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Permission of the Whanganui Regional Museum must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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How to cite this page

Diana Beaglehole, Whanganui region – Outdoor recreation and leisure, Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/19083/peter-snell (accessed 7 June 2026).

Story by Diana Beaglehole, published 3 March 2009, updated 1 June 2015.