PARIS: Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya fell well short in her bid to become the first woman to run a sub-four minute mile on Thursday.
Aided by wavelight technology and 13 pacers, 11 male and two women, Kipyegon clocked 4min 06.42sec over 1.6km in perfect conditions at Stade Charlety in south Paris.
The time was better than her own world record of 4:07.64 in the non-Olympic event set in Monaco in 2023. But it will not stand as a new world record given the presence of male pacemakers.
鈥淚鈥檓 exhausted, I feel tired,鈥 said the 31-year-old Kipyegon. 鈥淚 tried to be the fastest woman under four minutes, I鈥檝e proven it鈥檚 possible, it鈥檚 only a matter of time. I think it will come one day, if not me someone else.鈥
Kipyegon went through the bell for the final lap in 3:01.84, meaning she鈥檇 have to lay down an impossibly fast last 400m.
No woman has ever attempted the sub-4min feat, which was first achieved in 1954 by Britain Roger Bannister 鈥 in 3min 59.4sec 鈥 in what has gone down as one of track running鈥檚 most momentous achievements.
When Bannister ran a sub-four minute mile 71 years ago, racing conditions were very different. The Briton did it after a morning鈥檚 work at a hospital during a meet on a cinder track in Oxford and wearing heavy spiked shoes.
Almost 2,000 male athletes have gone on to run sub-4min times since 1954.
In the unofficial race in Paris organised by Nike, Kipyegon benefitted from the wealth of her sponsor鈥檚 technological support, sporting a custom-made suit as well as new Victory Elite FK shoes.
The 鈥淏reaking 4鈥 project follows on six years after Eliud Kipchoge鈥檚 鈥淏reaking 2鈥 鈥 when the Kenyan became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours.
Kipchoge was in place to welcome his training partner across the line as the pacers quickly gathered around to congratulate her on her effort.
But the task of trimming nearly eight seconds off her world record time proved beyond the three-time Olympic 1500m gold medallist who is also a four-time world champion (1500m 鈥 2017, 2022, 2023; 5,000m 鈥 2023).
鈥淚鈥檓 so grateful for today,鈥 Kipyegon said. 鈥淚 gave everything. 鈥淚t was not easy, as I said when I was preparing for it. But I wanted to prove to the world that everything is possible.鈥
Kipyegon, who is yet to decide whether she will do the 1500/5,000m double at September鈥檚 world championships in Tokyo, added: 鈥淭his was the first trial.
鈥淚鈥檝e learned many lessons from this race. I will go back to the drawing board to see where I can improve. One time, one day, it will come my way. There鈥檚 more in the tank.鈥
Published in Dawn, June 28th, 2025