John Michael Landy AC CVO MBE FTSE (12 April 1930 – 24 February 2022) was an Australian middle-distance runner and state governor.

He was initially more interested in nature, and Australian rules football, though in his final year won the 'Associated Public Schools Mile Championship".

[6][4] While at the Helsinki Olympics, Landy befriended Emil Zatopek, the Czech four-time gold medal-winning runner, who persuaded him to increase the intensity of his training programme.

[4] On 21 June 1954, at an international meet at Turku, Finland, Landy became the second man, after Roger Bannister, to achieve a sub-4-minute mile.

He achieved a world record time of 3:57.9, ratified by the IAAF as 3:58.0 owing to the rounding rules then in effect.

A larger-than-life bronze sculpture of the two men at this moment was created by Vancouver sculptor Jack Harman in 1967 from a photograph by Vancouver Sun photographer Charlie Warner and stood for many years at the entrance to Empire Stadium; after the stadium was demolished, the sculpture was moved to the Hastings and Renfrew entrance of the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) fairgrounds.

"[10] At the 1956 Australian National Championships prior to the Melbourne Olympic Games, in the final of the mile race, Landy stopped and doubled back to check on fellow runner Ron Clarke after another runner clipped Clarke's heel, causing him to fall early in the third lap of the race.

"[11] Sculptor Mitch Mitchell created a bronze sculpture of the moment when Landy helps Clarke to his feet.

[15] On 15 March 2006, in the final month of his term as governor, Landy was the final runner in the Queen's Baton relay during the 2006 Commonwealth Games opening ceremony at the Melbourne Cricket Ground stadium in Melbourne, presenting the baton to the Queen.

[34] On 12 July 2008, Landy was the guest speaker at his club's centenary dinner held in North Geelong.

[36] Central Park, in Malvern East, Melbourne, has a sports oval dedicated to Landy with a plaque which reads in part "Named in honour of John Landy, resident of Central Park Road, who used this oval for his training.