Faith Kipyegon entered Nike’s “Breaking4” event aiming to rewrite history by becoming the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes. Supported by an elite squad of pacemakers—11 men and 2 women including Olympic-level athletes like Grant Fisher, Craig Engels, and Georgia Hunter Bell—she was armed with custom aerodynamics: lightweight Victory Elite FK spikes and a sleek speed suit designed to reduce drag
When the gun fired at around 8:05 pm local time, Kipyegon settled locked into formation, tucked neatly behind the pacers and guided by the inside “Wavelight” pacing lights. Her opening splits were blazing: 60.20 s for 400m, 2:00.75 at 800m — only a few tenths off sub‑4 pace
Through 1200m, she clocked 3:01.84, but as the pacers pushed ahead and the lactic acid built, her speed began to falter
. On the final lap, despite her determination, she slowed to around 64.5 seconds, finishing in 4:06.42 — an astonishing 1.22 seconds faster than her own official world record of 4:07.64
Though ineligible for ratification—due to male pacers, prototype spikes not yet approved, and a non‑sanctioned setup—this remains the fastest mile ever recorded by a woman under any conditions
Visibly exhausted, Kipyegon collapsed post-finish, draped herself in a Kenyan flag, and took a triumphant lap despite her disappointment. She spoke with characteristic resilience:
“I have proven that it’s possible and it’s only a matter of time…If it is not me, it will be somebody else. I know one day, one time a woman will run under 4:00. I will not lose hope.”
Nike’s careful orchestration of pacing strategy, aerodynamic gear, and environmental control mirrored its earlier marathon projects. Yet scientific consensus suggests that even with such advantages, breaking the four-minute barrier requires a physiological leap beyond current female performance levels
Despite the technical limitations and rule constraints, the event sent shockwaves through athletics. It confirmed that a sub‑4 mile is no longer a remote fantasy—it now lies within sight of human ambition and technological collaboration.
Faith Kipyegon is no stranger to the top of the podium. A two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 1500 meters (2016 and 2021) and a multiple-time world champion, she already had a storied career before 2023. But that year, she etched her name in immortality. Over the span of just two months, Kipyegon broke three world records — a feat almost unheard of in the era of hyper-specialized athletes and precision pacing technology.
It began in Florence on June 2, 2023, at the Wanda Diamond League meeting. Lining up in the 1500 meters, her signature event, Kipyegon delivered a performance for the ages. She clocked 3:49.11, slicing nearly a full second off Genzebe Dibaba’s 2015 record of 3:50.07. The time was mind-bending. She became the first woman in history to break the 3:50 barrier — a milestone many believed to be beyond reach for this generation. What made it even more stunning was her negative split — her final lap was her fastest, showcasing not just speed, but devastating endurance and racecraft.
Just a week later in Paris, on June 9, she turned her attention to the 5000 meters — an event she rarely ran and where she wasn’t the pre-race favorite. Yet in an astonishing display of versatility and determination, Kipyegon stormed to a new world record of 14:05.20. That mark eclipsed Letesenbet Gidey’s 14:06.62, set under ideal conditions and with pacers. Kipyegon, with minimal experience at that distance, ran like a seasoned champion, making her closing laps look effortless. It was the moment the world realized they weren’t just witnessing dominance — they were witnessing a once-in-a-generation athlete rewriting what was thought possible.
If that wasn’t enough, Faith Kipyegon returned to the track in Monaco on July 21 to break her third world record — this time in the rarely-run but still highly respected mile. She clocked 4:07.64, obliterating the previous mark of 4:12.33 set by Sifan Hassan in 2019. Monaco has been the site of many fast races, but Kipyegon’s run was in a league of its own. She went out hard and never relented, delivering a display of pure front-running that left the field gasping in her wake. Once again, she showed that her limits are still unknown.
In short: Faith Kipyegon didn’t just chase history—she chased possibility. And even in defeat, she brought the world closer to rewriting what was once thought impossible on the track.
