The running track where Sir Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute mile, 70 years ago, is being re-laid and given a new look.

The more than £250,000 project will see the surface at the University of Oxford’s Iffley Road Sports Centre change from red to Oxford blue – the university’s official colour.

Work to strip away the old track began on Monday and it will be replaced by new Polyurethane rubber so that it can continue to meet UK athletics’ regulations.

This director of sport for the university Jon Roycroft said the first phase of work is expected to finish by 31 July, with further renovations at the centre planned “at a later date”.

When Sir Roger Bannister completed his then record breaking mile in three minutes and 59.4 seconds in 1954 he was running on a cinder track.

Since then the surface, which was named after the runner in 2007, has been relayed four times with a “gentle” and “high quality” rubber material, said Mr Roycroft.

“If Sir Roger had run on this surface it might have taken six to seven seconds off of his time.” He said.

“It just goes to show what an amazing achievement it was when he broke the record in the spikes wore and on the track he ran on.”

The first non-cinder surface was laid shortly after the record breaking run in the 1950s, following a campaign by Sir Roger.

“I had a fantastic relationship with Roger over the years.” Mr Roycroft said.

“He embraced making the surfaces safer and better for students to run on.”

Sir Roger became a distinguished neurologist, and died in March 2018, aged 88.

The Bannister Community Mile took place in the centre of Oxford on 6 May to mark the 70th anniversary of Sir Roger’s running achievement.