2010 will be forever etched upon Vancouver sports fans’ memories. As the hosts of the Winter Olympics, the city will never forget the moment that Crosby’s stunning overtime goal darted past U.S. goaltender Ryan Miller to secure a gold medal for the Canadians. It was the defining sporting moment for a generation of Vancouverites.

Flash back 46 years earlier, however, and you’ll find a similarly important victory.

In 1954, Vancouver hosted the Commonwealth Games. Although hardly the highlight of the modern era’s sporting calendar, the Games were, in the 1950s, one of the most hotly anticipated athletic competitions—and Vancouver did not disappoint. Cheering and shouting their support from the rafters of the newly-built Empire Stadium, the city’s residents witnessed the "Miracle Mile": the first time in history that two men completed the distance race in less than four minutes.

The Commonwealth Games boosted the profile of B.C., highlighting its unique topography and rich culture internationally—an accolade that, thanks to the fame of the Miracle Mile, never faded from memory of a generation. Now setting out to highlight the importance of the Games for a younger audience and to commemorate it for their parents, B.C. Sports Hall of Fame curator and director Jason Beck has meticulously chronicled the event’s impact in his book, The Miracle Mile: Stories of the 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games.

Expanding his research beyond the page, Beck will be speaking on the history behind the heritage sites and landmarks that hosted the Commonwealth competition. Recounting stories surrounding the now-demolished event sites such as the Empire Stadium, the Empire Pool, and the China Creek Cycling Track, and the many venues still in use today, such as the Vancouver Forum, Kerrisdale Arena, and Balaclava Park, Beck will shed light on the role that each location played in hoisting the B.C. flag on the global stage.

Jason Beck will speak at the University Women’s Club on November 1. See the Vancouver Heritage Foundation website for more details.

Follow Kate Wilson on Twitter @KateWilsonSays