The presentation of The World Athletics Heritage Plague honouring Diane Leather Charles was made at the Muller Birmingham Diamond league last Saturday at the newly refurbished Alexander Stadium. Diane Leather Charles became the first woman to run below five minutes (4:59.6) for the mile in 1954 at the Alexander Stadium. She reduced that world mark down to 4:50.8 and then 4.45.0 the following year; a time that remained unbeaten by a woman until 1962. The World Athletics Heritage Plaque is a location-based recognition, awarded for ‘an outstanding contribution to the worldwide history and development of the sport track and field athletics and of out-of-stadiam athletics disciplines such as cross country, road, mountain, trail and ultra-running, and race walking’.
Accepting the plaque were members of Diane's family and some of Birchfield's young athletes.