Kenya’s middle-distance queen Faith Kipyegon came agonizingly close to redefining the limits of women’s athletics by nearly becoming the first woman in history to run a sub-four-minute mile, clocking a sensational 4:06.42 at the Nike-sponsored ‘Breaking4’ event held at Stade Charlety in Paris on Thursday evening. Although the time will not be recognized as an official world record due to technical assistance and event conditions, it still marks the fastest mile ever run by a woman under any conditions, surpassing her own ratified world record by more than a second.
The groundbreaking run unfolded in near-perfect conditions, orchestrated to mimic the controlled environment that helped Eliud Kipchoge break the two-hour marathon barrier in 2019. Kipyegon, the 31-year-old three-time Olympic 1500m champion and seven-time global gold medalist, ran in a technologically advanced aerodynamic skinsuit and custom-engineered spikes designed for optimal speed. Despite coming just over six seconds short of the four-minute barrier, her effort is being celebrated worldwide as a generational milestone in women’s athletics.
Kipyegon’s current official world record of 4:07.64, set in July 2023 in Monaco, was already a stunning leap ahead of the previous best set by Sifan Hassan in 2019 (4:12.33). But the Breaking4 event was never about official records it was about pushing boundaries. Aided by a 13-member pacing team, including Britain’s Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Georgia Hunter Bell and Jemma Reekie, and assisted by Wavelight pacing technology guiding her along the inside track, Kipyegon set out to do what no woman has ever done.
Her pace was blistering: targeting sub-60-second laps, an average speed of 24 km/h (15 mph). She hit the bell lap at 3:01.84, needing to close in under 59 seconds to make history. But despite a valiant effort, the pace slightly faltered in the final 400 meters. She crossed the finish line in 4:06.42, collapsing to the track, utterly spent but smiling.
Eliud Kipchoge, the sub-two-hour marathon legend and Kipyegon’s friend and training partner, held the finish line tape a symbolic gesture uniting two of Kenya’s greatest athletes in their shared mission to transcend human limits.
“I have proven that it is possible. If it is not me, it will be somebody else,” said Kipyegon after the race. “I will not lose hope, I will still go for it. I hope I will get it one day.”
Addressing her daughter and young girls around the world, she added: “We are not limited. We can limit ourselves with thoughts, but it is possible to try everything and prove to the world that we are strong. Keep pushing.”
The significance of Kipyegon’s run echoes the historic feat of Sir Roger Bannister, who broke the men’s four-minute barrier in May 1954. That same month, Diane Leather became the first woman to break five five minute a mark then considered a lofty ambition for female athletes. Decades of incremental gains followed until Kipyegon’s 2023 record put the sub-four barrier within striking range.
Her rise from barefoot races to and from school in Kenya to the global stage has made Kipyegon a symbol of perseverance and ambition. She first gained global recognition after winning the 2011 World Junior Cross Country Championships with no shoes, and has since dominated global tracks with unmatched grace and consistency.
For this historic attempt, she wore a black aerodynamic skinsuit embedded with ‘aeronodes’, tiny 3D-printed bumps to reduce drag, and matching arm and leg sleeves, all designed to optimize airflow. Her ultra-lightweight custom Nike spikes, featuring a carbon-fiber plate and air pods, weighed only 85 grams and provided propulsion technology akin to that used in Kipchoge’s historic marathon run.
Though she narrowly missed the target, Faith Kipyegon’s achievement has changed the narrative. Just as Kipchoge proved the sub-two-hour marathon was achievable, Kipyegon has made the once-unthinkable sub-four-minute mile for women feel not only possible, but inevitable.
Her performance is more than a race; it’s a statement, a movement, and a legacy in the making.
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