Rabat – Yesterday, Faith Kipyegon became the first woman to realistically attempt to run a mile in under four minutes at Stade Charlety, Paris. While she fell short of the elusive mark, her record-breaking run was impressive and awe-inspiring in its own right.
Kipyegon ran a whole mile in 4:06.42, faster than her own world record of 4:07.64, set in 2023. Despite being 1.22 seconds quicker, it will not count towards an official record due to the artificial race put on by Nike.
It’s been 70 years since Roger Bannister became the first man to break the landmark 4 minute mile. Since then over 1700 athletes have achieved this mark, showing the evolution of running and the human capacity to improve, yet no woman has ever accomplished this.
Last night Kipyegon’s performance reinforced the strength of the human spirit, showing that a sub 4-minute mile is within reach.
This year, Nike partnered with Kipyegon under the banner Breaking4 in an attempt to rewrite history.
Taking all the available advantages, Kipyegon ran alongside 13 pacers in a carefully organised formation and choreography designed to leverage the “draft”, as well as wearing a specialized speed-suit, sports bra and spikes.
The athlete’s record-breaking attempt is a symbol of courage, ambition and freedom.
When interviewed afterward, the world-record holder says, “it was tough, but I am so proud of what I’ve done, and I’m going to keep on trying, dreaming and pursuing big goals.”
More than just running fast, the Kenyan runner says “I want to show the world, and especially women, that you have to dare to try.”
Hailed as the most decorated middle-distance runner of all times, Kipyegon holds two current world records in the 1500m and mile. She is also a 3x olympic champion, and 4x world champion across middle distance events.
