Stop 2: Running Track, Duke of York Square - Daydreaming on the King’s Road

Running is not necessarily the first thing that springs to mind when thinking about the King’s Road, but nestled behind Duke of York Square, in front of the Saatchi Gallery, there is a running track which was the training ground for an historical sporting event. Roger Bannister trained here for his legendary 4 minute mile in 1954 when he made history by being the first person to achieve this goal. Bannister’s choreographed achievement, and the close competition he faced, has since been immortalised in films and a TV series over the years. There has been a running track here since the Ministry of Defence occupied what was the Duke of York’s HQ (now the Saatchi Gallery) in the early part of the twentieth century. Previously, the Duke of York Royal Military School (opened in 1801), was designed by a pupil of architect Sir John Soane as a home for the orphaned children of soldiers. The more recent development by Cadogan has restored the HQ into a beautiful gallery space and created one of London’s largest privately-owned public spaces at Duke of York Square. If you fancy some interval training, you can join the running club who meet at the Saatchi gallery every Tuesday and Thursday via One Track.