Eliud Kipchoge Backs Faith Kipyegon as She Targets to Become First Woman to Complete Mile Race Under Four Minutes

, already hailed as the greatest female 1500m runner in history, is setting her sights on a challenge so bold it could forever alter the landscape of women’s athletics.

This June, the two-time Olympic champion and multiple world record holder will attempt to become the first woman ever to run a mile in under four minutes.

Her pursuit has drawn the attention—and support—of none other than marathon legend, the first man in history to run a sub-two-hour marathon during the 2019 Ineos Challenge in Vienna, Austria.

Kipchoge backs Kipyegon

“I believe that Faith is the woman to take the challenge,” Kipchoge said. “She’s a big dreamer.”

Harambee Stars coach Benni McCarthy has been in the news lately, being linked to the Orlando Pirates job as a potential Jose Riveiro successor.

And if anyone has proven capable of making dreams a reality, it’s . In 2023, she made history by becoming the first woman to dip under the 3:50 mark in the 1500m, clocking an extraordinary 3:49.11.

Just seven days later, she stunned the world again by smashing Letesenbet Gidey’s 5000m world record with a time of 14:05.20—a race that was only her third over the distance in her career.

Not done yet, she went on to shatter’s mile world record, running 4:07.64, slicing nearly five seconds off the previous mark. And in July 2024, at the Meeting de Paris, Kipyegon sharpened her edge even further, lowering her own 1500m world record to 3:49.04.

Shericka Jackson will begin her 200m comeback on Saturday, aiming for redemption while facing a fierce American trio out to test her.

But now, the 30-year-old mother, Olympic champion, and global icon is aiming for something unprecedented: to run a sub-four-minute mile—an eight-second drop from her current world best.

In a moving teaser released by Nike, Kipyegon shared the emotional roots of her ambition:

«I remember running barefoot to school as a little girl, dreaming that one day I would become an Olympic champion,» she recalled.

«Since becoming a mother, everything has changed. You have to show your child the way—and this is the path: as women, we must push boundaries and dream big.»

Hellen Obiri fell short of a historic third Boston Marathon win but proved her dominance with a resilient podium finish.

With characteristic conviction, she added: “Why can’t we achieve the impossible?”

Her legacy is already unmatched. Kipyegon is a two-time Olympic gold medalist in the 1500m (2016, 2020) and a three-time world champion in the same event (2017, 2022, 2023). She also owns a world title in the 5000m from the 2023 World Championships in Budapest.

But the sub-four-minute mile remains the final frontier—a barrier many believed would stand for decades. Faith Kipyegon is out to prove otherwise. Backed by legends like Kipchoge and driven by her own powerful story, June could be the month she rewrites history once again.