Faith Kipyegon to attempt historic sub-4-minute mile in Paris
Faith Kipyegon is aiming to make history once again — this time by becoming the first woman to run a sub-4-minute mile. The Olympic champion will take on the ambitious challenge on Thursday night in Paris, in a special Nike-organised time trial dubbed Breaking4.
Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon will on Thursday attempt to become the first woman in history to run a sub-4-minute mile at the Stade Sébastien Charléty in Paris, France during a Nike-organized time trial event titled "Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile."
Kipyegon, 31, currently holds the women's mile world record at 4:07.64, a mark she set in Monaco in 2023. She will need to shave nearly eight seconds off that time to breach the 4-minute mark, a feat never achieved by a female athlete before.
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The event is modeled after the 2019 "Ineos 1:59 Challenge" in which long-distance great Eliud Kipchoge became the first man to run a sub-2-hour marathon. It marks the latest chapter in Kipyegon's decorated career and could redefine the upper limits of women's distance running.
Although Thursday's race will not be eligible for official record recognition due to its exhibition format, it is expected to draw significant global attention. Nike will livestream the event on its official YouTube channel beginning 9:00 pm Kenyan time.
According to Kipyegon, a mother of one, the event is about pushing boundaries.
"I'm a three-time Olympic champion. I've achieved World Championship titles. I thought, What else? Why not dream outside the box? I told myself, 'If you believe in yourself, and your team believes in you, you can do it'," she said in a recent interview.
The race will be held on the same Paris track where Kipyegon broke both the 1500m and 5000m world records last year. She has been training specifically for the mile in recent months and clocked a 2:29.21 1000m in China earlier this year, close to the pace she must maintain for a full mile.
Nike has equipped Kipyegon with customized racing gear, including ultra-light Victory Elite FK spikes, a new aerodynamic speed suit and a high-tech 3D-printed sports bra designed to enhance performance. The footwear, weighing under 0.08kgs per shoe, is approximately 25% lighter than spikes she used in past competitions.
Only six women in history have ever broken 4:15 in the mile. If successful, Kipyegon's run will represent a 3.1% improvement over her own record, a more difficult challenge than Kipchoge's 2.4% reduction in his sub-2-hour marathon time.
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