Less than two weeks after clocking a Commonwealth Games B-qualifier in the 1500m at December’s Zatopek 10, the Launceston 1500m runner became only the third Tasmanian and 69^th Australian to break the four-minute mile, clocking 3:59.32 in Bankstown.

He finished two seconds behind race winner Jordan Gusman but put himself in the company of Ryan Foster and Games-bound King Island star Stewart McSweyn as Tasmania’s only sub-four-minute runners.

“The first feeling is that you’re a little bit disappointed at being defeated because I really believed I could win,” Hansen said.

“But thinking about it afterwards it’s pretty special and it’s something I’ll always be able to look back on and be pretty happy with it.”

Hansen’s next goal is to record an A-qualifier – 3:37.50 or faster – at this month’s Hunter Track Classic or ACT championships before the Commonwealth Games trials in February.

But it was less than two years ago that he was considering giving up the sport altogether.

After moving away from Tasmania to settle in Melbourne, the former Riverside High student found it difficult to progress his running career and bridge the gap to the nation’s top athletes.

He considered quitting before finding a new passion for running and overhauling his training program and mindset.

A sacral stress fracture could have put an end to his comeback, but instead Hansen has “returned better than ever”.

“I’ve probably overcome quite a bit in the last couple of years.

“My faith has been a big part of that journey in the last couple of years, and showing what’s possible when you work hard and trust God through a lot of hard things.

“It’s made me want it more than ever and I’ve just been enjoying the process of getting better every day.

“Before the injury there were two or three years where I ran the same times and didn’t really PB, and I’ve come out of this injury and my first three runs have all been personal bests.

“That never really happens at the start of the season - let alone after an injury - so I think that goes to show what a mindset does.”

The Deakin University student will need to shave nearly three seconds off his newly-clocked PB of 3:40.42 to achieve an A-qualifier, but will take plenty of confidence from his recent form. 

Hansen said he had been encouraged by the story of UK athlete Roger Bannister - widely known for being the first person to break the four-minute mile in 1954 - to push the limits and get the best out of himself. 

“Scientists said in order for a guy to break four it was basically physically impossible… but as soon as he broke (the four-minute barrier) I think the next year a lot of people broke it.

“It’s kind of cool what that does for others when someone breaks through something... doing something like that (now) you don’t even think about it.

“There’s so many different fields where if you can be that person who pioneers or breaks through you’re going to allow a lot of other people to do it in the process.”