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Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- Toronto Star
Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon tries to become 1st woman to break 4-minute mile next week in Paris
Faith Kipyegon's already a three-time Olympic 1,500-meter champion. She's already the world-record holder in the mile and 1,500. Next on her to-accomplish list: Become the first woman to break the 4-minute mile barrier. The 31-year-old Kipyegon is making a run at that hallowed mark in a Nike-sponsored event dubbed ' Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile ' on June 26 at the Stade Charlety in Paris. She set the world record mark of 4:07.64 nearly two years ago during a Diamond League meet in Monaco. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW 'I think breaking four will really cement my legacy,' Kipyegon said in a Zoom call on Wednesday. 'The next generation is looking up to us to show them the way and this is what I'm doing now. ... Everything we do, we have to dream big and just believe in ourselves that we could do it.' It was more than 71 years ago when British runner Roger Bannister became the first man to eclipse 4 minutes when he ran 3:59.4. For Kipyegon, finding extra speed to trim a little more than 7.64 seconds occupies her thoughts and drives her in training. But really, she and her coach, Patrick Sang, aren't altering from their routine too much to chase a sub-4 mile time. What she's doing in workouts now has already proven highly successful. She won her third straight 1,500 Olympic title in Paris last August. A month before that, she broke her own 1,500 record on the same track where she will run next Thursday. 'For me, I would say being mentally strong and believing in everything I do,' she said of preparing for big moments. 'Believing in the training, believing in waking up to empower the next generation, believing in everything that has been from my younger time when I was running barefoot to where I am now. It has really given me that drive to wake up and go for training and just be strong.' She will be wearing the latest innovations from Nike, too, from her aerodynamic track suit to her spikes. Should she break the mark, it would be subject to ratification by World Athletics. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Fellow Kenyan runner, longtime friend and training partner Eliud Kipchoge has been providing emotional support. He had an event set up for him in 2019, when he ran a marathon in 1:59:40 to break the 2-hour marathon barrier at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Austria. The mark wasn't ratified by the sport's governing body. 'It will be lovely to see Eliud after the finish line,' said Kipyegon, who's a four-time world champion. 'I get positive messages from around the world that I can do it. ... It really motivates me a lot going on to this challenge. I know it will not be easy, but I'm going to try my best and we will see what the finish line offers.' She's eager for the challenge to show the next generation of female runners that anything is possible. That includes her young daughter, Alyn. 'You have to dream and just be patient for it,' Kipyegon said. Same with her quest next week, which she will approach in increments. 'You have to dream of how will I cross the 800 mark? How will I cross that 1,200 mark?' Kipyegon explained. 'It's the repetition of, 'I have to be myself and just think of how will I shed the seven seconds?' 'I will feel so great if I just run after that finish line and see under four minutes. It will be historical.' ___ AP sports:
Al Arabiya
2 days ago
- Sport
- Al Arabiya
Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon tries to become the first woman to break the 4-minute mile next week in Paris
Faith Kipyegon's already a three-time Olympic 1500-meter champion. She's already the world-record holder in the mile and 1500. Next on her to-accomplish list: Become the first woman to break the 4-minute mile barrier. The 31-year-old Kipyegon is making a run at that hallowed mark in a Nike-sponsored event dubbed 'Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile' on June 26 at the Stade Charlety in Paris. She set the world record mark of 4:07.64 nearly two years ago during a Diamond League meet in Monaco. 'I think breaking four will really cement my legacy,' Kipyegon said in a Zoom call on Wednesday. 'The next generation is looking up to us to show them the way and this is what I'm doing now. … Everything we do we have to dream big and just believe in ourselves that we could do it.' It was more than 71 years ago when British runner Roger Bannister became the first man to eclipse 4 minutes when he ran 3:59.4. For Kipyegon, finding extra speed to trim a little more than 7.64 seconds occupies her thoughts and drives her in training. But really, she and her coach, Patrick Sang, aren't altering from their routine too much to chase a sub-4 mile time. What she's doing in workouts now has already proven highly successful. She won her third straight 1500 Olympic title in Paris last August. A month before that, she broke her own 1500 record on the same track where she will run next Thursday. 'For me, I would say being mentally strong and believing in everything I do,' she said of preparing for big moments. 'Believing in the training, believing in waking up to empower the next generation, believing in everything that has been from my younger time when I was running barefoot to where I am now. It has really given me that drive to wake up and go for training and just be strong.' She will be wearing the latest innovations from Nike, too, from her aerodynamic track suit to her spikes. Should she break the mark, it would be subject to ratification by World Athletics. Fellow Kenyan runner, longtime friend, and training partner Eliud Kipchoge has been providing emotional support. He had an event set up for him in 2019 when he ran a marathon in 1:59:40 to break the 2-hour marathon barrier at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Austria. The mark wasn't ratified by the sport's governing body. 'It will be lovely to see Eliud after the finish line,' said Kipyegon, who's a four-time world champion. 'I get positive messages from around the world that I can do it. … It really motivates me a lot going on to this challenge. I know it will not be easy, but I'm going to try my best and we will see what the finish line offers.' She's eager for the challenge to show the next generation of female runners that anything is possible. That includes her young daughter, Alyn. 'You have to dream and just be patient for it,' Kipyegon said. Same with her quest next week, which she will approach in increments. 'You have to dream of how will I cross the 800 mark? How will I cross that 1200 mark?' Kipyegon explained. 'It's the repetition of 'I have to be myself' and just think of how will I shed the seven seconds? I will feel so great if I just run after that finish line and see under four minutes. It will be historical.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon tries to become 1st woman to break 4-minute mile next week in Paris
FILE - Faith Kipyegon, of Kenya, celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's 1500 meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File) FILE - Faith Kipyegon, of Kenya, celebrates after winning the women's 1500-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France.(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) FILE - Faith Kipyegon, of Kenya, celebrates after winning the women's 1500-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France.(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) FILE - Faith Kipyegon, of Kenya, celebrates after winning the gold medal in the women's 1500 meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File) FILE - Faith Kipyegon, of Kenya, celebrates after winning the women's 1500-meter final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France.(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File) Faith Kipyegon's already a three-time Olympic 1,500-meter champion. She's already the world-record holder in the mile and 1,500. Next on her to-accomplish list: Become the first woman to break the 4-minute mile barrier. Advertisement The 31-year-old Kipyegon is making a run at that hallowed mark in a Nike-sponsored event dubbed ' Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile " on June 26 at the Stade Charlety in Paris. She set the world record mark of 4:07.64 nearly two years ago during a Diamond League meet in Monaco. 'I think breaking four will really cement my legacy,' Kipyegon said in a Zoom call on Wednesday. 'The next generation is looking up to us to show them the way and this is what I'm doing now. ... Everything we do, we have to dream big and just believe in ourselves that we could do it.' It was more than 71 years ago when British runner Roger Bannister became the first man to eclipse 4 minutes when he ran 3:59.4. For Kipyegon, finding extra speed to trim a little more than 7.64 seconds occupies her thoughts and drives her in training. But really, she and her coach, Patrick Sang, aren't altering from their routine too much to chase a sub-4 mile time. Advertisement What she's doing in workouts now has already proven highly successful. She won her third straight 1,500 Olympic title in Paris last August. A month before that, she broke her own 1,500 record on the same track where she will run next Thursday. 'For me, I would say being mentally strong and believing in everything I do,' she said of preparing for big moments. 'Believing in the training, believing in waking up to empower the next generation, believing in everything that has been from my younger time when I was running barefoot to where I am now. It has really given me that drive to wake up and go for training and just be strong.' She will be wearing the latest innovations from Nike, too, from her aerodynamic track suit to her spikes. Should she break the mark, it would be subject to ratification by World Athletics. Fellow Kenyan runner, longtime friend and training partner Eliud Kipchoge has been providing emotional support. He had an event set up for him in 2019, when he ran a marathon in 1:59:40 to break the 2-hour marathon barrier at the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in Austria. The mark wasn't ratified by the sport's governing body. Advertisement 'It will be lovely to see Eliud after the finish line,' said Kipyegon, who's a four-time world champion. 'I get positive messages from around the world that I can do it. ... It really motivates me a lot going on to this challenge. I know it will not be easy, but I'm going to try my best and we will see what the finish line offers.' She's eager for the challenge to show the next generation of female runners that anything is possible. That includes her young daughter, Alyn. 'You have to dream and just be patient for it,' Kipyegon said. Same with her quest next week, which she will approach in increments. Advertisement 'You have to dream of how will I cross the 800 mark? How will I cross that 1,200 mark?" Kipyegon explained. "It's the repetition of, 'I have to be myself and just think of how will I shed the seven seconds?' "I will feel so great if I just run after that finish line and see under four minutes. It will be historical.' ___ AP sports:
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Keeping the faith: Kipyegon chases the Bannister feat
New Delhi: In another busy season in world athletics, Swedish pole-vaulter Armand Duplantis is again bettering his world record for fun, nudging the mark up by a centimetre, improving it twice already in 2025 taking his overall count to 12. Faith Kipyegon, the Kenyan 1,500m queen's reign has lasted close to a decade. She has won the last three Olympic and world titles and holds two world records, but come June 26, she will seek to be measured on a different yardstick. The 31-year-old Kenyan super mom wants to 'cement' her legacy by attempting to become the first woman to run the classic mile race under four minutes. Kipyegon's race, planned to the minutest detail by her sponsors Nike and dubbed Breaking4, will be run on the blue track of Stade Charlety in Paris, a venue where she also set her 1,500m world record last year and the mile mark a year earlier. Kipyegon's mile record stands at 4:07.64, and the target before the woman from Kenya's Rift Valley, renowned for its athletics champions, is 7.65 seconds. While there are a few skeptics, Kipyegon is brimming with confidence. 'I don't believe it's a matter of if a woman can break 4 minutes in the mile. It's a matter of when we will do it,' she said in comments on Nike's X handle in April, when the race was announced. 'I want this attempt to say to women, 'You can dream and make your dreams valid.' This is the way to go as women, to push boundaries and dream big.' On Tuesday, in a virtual media interaction, Kipyegon, finetuning her preparations in Kenya, added: 'You can't limit yourself… Not only about what a man can do, we all have that dream.' Her coach Patrick Sang's words 'dream and be patient' will remain her motto. Bannister Legacy For the avalanche of records that have fallen in the last few decades thanks to the revolution in scientific training methods and support to athletics, the romance and charm around the sub four-minute mile has never dimmed. British runner Roger Bannister becoming the first man to dip under four minutes for the four-lap race at the Oxford University track on May 6, 1954 is still held up as a shining example of human endeavour. Kipyegon planting a flag on that summit as the first woman, 71 years after Bannister clocked a historic 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds, too would be very special. The seven decades since showcase progress as well. Bannister, a junior doctor then, worked at his London hospital in the morning before taking the train to Oxford and claiming a slice of athletics immortality. His record came on a cinder track and the modest aid, apart from the pace-setter in a six-man race, was said to be the graphite rubbed on his spikes to prevent the clay from sticking. This is the age of cutting-edge technology. Kipyegon will wear Nike's Victory Elite FK spikes and a special sports bra designed by the company. Nike has also produced an innovative 'Fly Suit', advertised as the most aerodynamic attire that will cover her from just below the neck to just above the knee. To help Kipyegon stay 'slippery', tiny 'aeronodes', around the neck and hip area, to 'disrupt airflow and reduce drag'. The nodes are meant to create smaller eddies behind her to reduce drag, says the Nike promo for the race. Project Kipchoge For any added inspiration, Kipyegon only needs to look at compatriot Eliud Kipchoge, the marathon great, who made two attempts to run the distance under two hours. The Nike project was criticised as a marketing gimmick with its then shoe model too not getting World Athletics approval. His first attempt in 2017 fell 25 seconds short, but the next two years later called Breaking2 in Vienna saw Kipchoge clock 1:59:40.2. However, it doesn't count as a world record because of his shoes and the manner in which pacers were used. Next Thursday in Paris, Kipyegon will have pace-setters and the Wavelight, the LEDs embedded inside of the track to visually indicate the pace. It remains to be seen how the Kenyan, a front-runner, goes in the final stretch. This race too is unlikely to be ratified by WA. 'What is the most challenging? How will I run this race, go through the first round, second round…I just want to be myself.'
New York Times
12-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Spikes, suits and sports bras: Kipyegon's four-minute mile attempt with Nike
In two weeks' time, Faith Kipyegon is attempting to become the first woman to break the iconic four-minute barrier in the mile. As part of what Nike are marketing as Breaking4 – akin to Eliud Kipchoge's Breaking2 attempt for the marathon back in 2017 – they have announced various new technologies created by a six-strong innovation team. Advertisement These include revolutionised super spikes, a 'one-of-one' 3D-printed sports bra, and an aerodynamic 'fly suit' with aeronodes that aim to reduce drag. The suit also comes complete with arm sleeves, leg sleeves and a headband. Nike said, in a press release, they have used their 'full power of sports science research and design expertise to create the integrated made-for-speed products to help get her there — breaking a barrier thought to be indomitable'. The spikes are not the Victory 2 which Kipyegon won the Olympic 1,500m title in last summer, when she became the first athlete to win gold in that event three times and successfully defended her crown for the second Games. Instead, Nike have made a 'bespoke' spike using Kipyegon's feedback. It is slightly taller than the Victory 2 and the carbon-fibre plate is lighter, while the upper is created from 'ultra-lightweight yarns'. There has been an effort to balance substance with style. 'FK' is written onto one of the plates – her initials and also standing for 'Fastest Known'. Nike are not specific in the technology used but say the spikes are made with 'advanced foams' — which have revolutionised athletics along with carbon-fibre plates in marathon shoes as well as on the track — that have superior energy return to traditional racing spikes. Research has shown they can improve performance by one to three per cent. Kipyegon will be debuting Nike's new 'FlyWeb' sports bra at the Stade Charlety in Paris when she attempts to knock nearly eight seconds from her own world record from Monaco two summers ago (4:07.64). The 3D-printed sports bra is made from thermoplastic polyurethane, designed to be 'lightweight, soft feel and breathable'. Nike says it is 'one-of-one' and came about as a result of 'years of experimentation'. Janett Nichol, Nike's vice president of innovation, said: 'We're just scratching the surface. This is a true unlock, not just for bras but for how we design and build high-performance apparel going forward.' Advertisement The other key component is the blacked-out, all-in-one super suit that Nike have crafted, with matching arm sleeves and a headband. The principal researcher at the Nike Sports Research Lab Brett Kirby said: 'The integrative nature of this kit means everything. Not any one thing will help her break it.' Nike do not say what the suit is made from — 'a new proprietary slick and stretchy material' — but they explained why it is laden with 3D-printed aeronodes. These nodes, which differ in size and placement on the suit, are designed to smoothen air flow and reduce what are called 'eddies' in fluid dynamics. This is where fluid swirls into turbulent flow and a reverse current forms. Researchers who worked on the Breaking2 project have modelled Kipyegon's Monaco performance. They found that she only drafted for the first 900 metres and ran a negative split. The researchers believe that with one pacemaker in-front and one behind for the whole race — potentially with two fresh pacemakers from 800m onwards — she can run 3:59. It is, Nike accepts, a 'moonshot'. Kipyegon's 2023 world-record in Monaco knocked more than four seconds off Sifan Hassan's mile of 2019, which was the biggest single jump in the women's mile world-record since the 1970s. That came after Kipyegon, then 27, had already broken the 1,500m and 5,000m world records earlier in the summer, en route to winning her fourth 1,500m World Championship title. She came agonisingly close, again, to breaking the 1,000m world record in her season opener in Xiamen, China, back in April. Kipyegon was less than three tenths of a second off Svetlana Masterkova's 2:28.98 from 1998 with a 2:29.21 time that translates to a four-minute flat marathon. Nike's footwear lead Carrie Dimoff said: 'If she crosses the line in under four minutes, it won't just be a new world record – it'll be a new understanding of what's possible for women in sport.' Advertisement Technically, it will not be ratified as a world record by World Athletics, the governing body for athletics. This is because the race is not sanctioned and a rotating group of pacemakers is expected. Nike have not announced the strategy yet but this was their approach with Kipchoge, and, if they are to only use female athletes, nobody is on Kipyegon's level over this distance. The spikes are expected to conform to the requirements (a midsole stack height of 20mm for middle-distance events as of November 2024), but they have not been sent to World Athletics for review, and unverified spikes are world record ineligible. Still, like eight years ago with Kipchoge in Monza, Nike seems unbothered about how official or not the time is. As innovation lead Amy Jones Vaterlaus said: 'This isn't just a project. It's a legacy, to change what's possible in sport.'
