After a decade in the country, the family moved to Hurstville, New South Wales which allowed Bailey to pursue his running by joining the local St George Athletics Club.

His compatriot John Landy was going to make an attempt to become the first person to break the 4 minute mile on American soil.

As the NCAA Champion, he joined other top level participants including Bill Dellinger, Jerome Walters, Lon Spurrier and Ron Delany.

Landy caught up with Delany a straightaway (100 yards) short of the halfway point in the race, with much of the field still in contact.

Landy succeeded in breaking the 4 minute mile, but the first to do it on American soil was Bailey, a tick of a second earlier, running 3:58.6, a 6-second personal record.