History Beckons: Faith Kipyegon Teams Up With Nike To Attempt What No Other Woman Has Ever Achieved

Triple will attempt to further enhance her legacy as the greatest middle-distance runner of all time after teaming up with Nike for a historic race.

Kipyegon, considered the greatest 1,500m runner of all-time, will seek to become the first woman to run a mile under four minutes in an event that has been dubbed Breaking4.

No woman has ever run a mile under four minutes but Kipyegon and her sponsors Nike believe it is possible with some special modifications and are backing the Kenyan to achieve it.

In what is reminiscent of Eliud Kipchoge’s Breaking2 that was also backed by Nike when he attempted to run a marathon under two hours at the Formula One track in Monza, Italy in 2017, Kipyegon hopes to emulate Roger Bannister, who achieved what was seen as impossible, when he ran the mile under four minutes in 1954.

With the advancement in technology, especially the advent of super shoes, Nike believes Kipyegon can clock 3:59.37 just like Bannister, if all tools are put together to aid her.

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

Kipyegon is the world record holder over the mile, following her time of 4:07.64 in 2023, but there is a feeling she can go even faster, given a recent study has shown that her 1,500m world record of 3:49.04 converts to roughly 4:06.5 in the mile.

How will Faith Kipyegon attempt Sub-4 Mile?

To achieve a mile sub-four, Kipyegon will be needed to run either behind or in front of her pacemakers to reduce air resistance which could reduce her energy output and improve speed.

As per Citius Mag, the ideal setup would involve one pacer in front and one behind for the full race, just like Kipchoge’s INEOS 1:59 Challenge, that saw him clock 1:59:40 in Vienna, Austria in October 2019.

Nike is also likely to produce super shoes that will aid Kipyegon although the makeup of what she will wear in her Breaking4 attempt is still not known.

Faith Kipyegon has left her fans marveling at the extent she goes to achieve success after getting them in on one of her grueling recovery sessions.

In recent years, Kipyegon has been running in the Nike DragonFly Elite 2 or Nike Zoom Victory 2 but she wore the Victory 2 when she won her historic third Paris Olympics 1,500m gold medal.

It is not determined if Kipyegon’s time will be determined for ratification as that will decide which shoes she will wear for the attempt, given World Athletics has strict rules on super shoes.

Triple Olympics champion ready to push boundaries

“I remember running barefoot to school as a little girl dreaming one day, I will be an Olympic champion…Since I became a mother, everything has changed. You have to show your child the way. And this is the way to go as women to push boundaries and dream big,” Kipyegon said of her impending attempt as quoted by

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

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce opens her 2025 season with a confident win, signaling readiness for upcoming showdowns with sprint rivals.

The race will take place at the Stade Sebastien Charlety in Paris France on June 26 although a window between June 26 and 28 has been reserved.

Kipyegon has good memories of Stade Sebastien Charlety as it was where she ran 14:05.20 to break the 5,000m world record in 2023 before returning there to break her own 1,500m world record, setting a new mark of 3:49.04 last July.