Sport: I'm No Miler

The mile was billed as the biggest track event of the season, a duel at Modesto, Calif, between Australia's Herb Elliott, the best in the world, and lanky Dyrol Burleson, the best in the U.S. But five minutes before starting time Elliott withdrew because of a strained knee tendon, and suddenly Burleson was left with no one to whip but a bunch of also-rans, including a distance runner named Jim Beatty, 25, who felt so out of place in the event that he frankly said: "I'm no miler."

Aiming at the 5,000 meters in the Olympics, Beatty had left North Carolina last October for Santa Clara Valley, Calif., where he could absorb the punishing training of Mihaly Igloi, the expert Hungarian coach who defected to the U.S. after the 1956 Olympics. At 5 ft. 6 in., 128 Ibs., Beatty last week seemed to be taking two bustling steps to every smooth stride of the 6-ft. 1-in., 155-lb. Burleson as he followed Coach Igloi's orders to lead his rival through the first lap in the brisk time of 57.9 sec.

Going into the gun lap, Beatty still had his lead. Then the packed stands began to bellow as Burleson started his famed finishing rush. Coming off the last turn, Burleson was just 2 yds. behind when Beatty, grinning with delight, spurted like a sprinter to finish 6 yds. in front. His time: 3:58, for the fastest mile ever run by an American.