Faith Kipyegon reveals 3 motivation sources ahead of historic record attempt
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Reading Time: 3min | Mon. 09.06.25. | 17:03
Kipyegon, who currently holds the women’s mile world record at 4:07.64, will aim to do what no woman has done before: defy the clock and dip under the elusive four-minute barrier
Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon is gearing up for a groundbreaking attempt to become the first woman in history to run a mile in under four minutes.
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The bold challenge, announced by Nike on Wednesday, 23 April, is part of the sportswear giant’s Breaking4 initiative, a project inspired by Eliud Kipchoge’s historic Breaking2 marathon effort in 2017.
The record attempt is scheduled to take place at Stade Charléty in Paris between Thursday, 26 and Saturday, 28 June, allowing organisers to capitalise on the best possible weather conditions.
Kipyegon, who currently holds the women’s mile world record at 4:07.64, will aim to do what no woman has done before: defy the clock and dip under the elusive four-minute barrier.
For Kipyegon, this will be a mission rooted in purpose.
“My story is a long one, but I want to cement my legacy and inspire the next generation. Every time I run, I give it my all because my daughter is watching.
She motivates me. Many young people look up to me, including her. I want to be the first woman to dare and try to break the four-minute barrier in the mile,” Kipyegon said in a video posted on Nike’s YouTube page.
Her coach, Patrick Sang, the same mind behind Kipchoge’s success, believes Kipyegon embodies the spirit of a trailblazer, which is a rare trait in most athletes.
“Faith is a true visionary. In my entire career, it’s rare to see a young athlete bring together the people she believes in, all while breaking records at the World Championships and the Olympics. She inspires us to aim higher and ask ourselves, ‘Why not?’," Sang said.
What further inspires Kipyegon is the motivation of former world marathon record holder Kipchoge. He urged her to embrace the bold ambition.
“Barriers are there to be broken. You need to do something unthinkable. What will you do for the sport, humanity, and women?” he challenged her.
Kipyegon’s Breaking4 run will mirror elements of Kipchoge’s historic sub-two-hour marathon in Vienna, including rotating pacers and controlled race conditions.
While such strategies mean the result will not count as an official world record, it remains a chance to stretch the boundaries of human performance.
A recent study published in Royal Society Open Science, co-authored by biomechanics expert and U.S. Olympian Shalaya Kipp, estimates that Kipyegon could clock a 3:59.37 mile under optimal conditions, the same barrier Roger Bannister broke for men in 1954.
Notably, during her 2023-mile world record, she had minimal pacing help and ran the final lap solo after her pacers set off too fast.
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The Breaking4 setup will seek to address those flaws, giving Kipyegon the structured pacing and support she lacked before. Nike has yet to confirm what shoes she will wear for the attempt, although in record runs, she has favoured the Nike Zoom Victory 2 spikes.
