Faith Kipyegonon Thursday fell short in her quest to become the first woman in history to run a four-minute mile, clocking a time of 4:06.42 at a Nike-organized event in Paris.
Kipyegon ran more than a secondfaster thanher own world recordof 4:07.64, which she set in 2023, but Thursday’s performance didn’t count as an official time.
A four-minute mile would have been the latest achievement in the 31-year-old Kipyegon’s glittering career, adding to her three Olympic gold medals and four world titles – all but one of which have come in the 1,500 meters.
“Exhausted. I’m tired, but I feel good I’ve tried,” Kipyegon said. “That is why I was coming here to try to be the first woman to run under four minutes, but I have proven that it is possible.
“It’s only a matter of time that I think it will come our way. If it’s not me, it’ll be somebody else. I know one day, one time, a woman will run under four. I will not lose hope. I will still go for it. I hope I will get one day, one time.”
Running in an aerodynamic suit and a new pair of super-light Nike spikes, Kipyegon was supported by pacemakers on the Charléty Stadium track in Paris – all of which were intended to maximize her performance over the mile.
Following the attempt in front of a cheering crowd, Kipyegon offered an inspiring message to young girls and women watching.
“I think I will tell them, we are not limited. We can limit ourselves through thoughts, but I think we are possible to try everything in our lives and prove to the world that we are strong and we keep pushing,” she said.
Even with those conditions in place, shaving almost eight seconds from her official world record was judged to have been a tall order by many, particularly over a distance defined by ultra-fine margins.
The event, which Nike called Breaking4, is similar to the two events organized around Eliud Kipchoge’s attempt to run a sub-two-hour marathon for the first time.
Kipchoge fell short in his first attempt in Monza, Italy, in 2017, an event hosted by Nike and labeled Breaking2. However, he successfully ran 1:59.40 for the 26.2-mile distance in Vienna, Austria, two years later while being backed by petrochemical company Ineos.
Like Thursday’s mile performance of his fellow Kenyan, Kipchoge’s run didn’t count as an official world record, though he remains the only man to run a sub-two-hour marathon. He was in attendance Thursday for Kipyegon’s effort.
A four-minute mile has long been recognized as an iconic landmark in running, first achieved by Great Britain’s Roger Bannister in 1954.
Today, sub-four-minute miles are commonplace in men’s running, with New ZealanderSam Rutherecently becoming the youngest person to do it at the age of 15 earlier this year.
On top of winning her third straight 1,500-meter title at the Paris Olympics last year, the Kenyan also won a silver in the 5,000 meters, taking her career medal tally to four at the Olympics and six at the world championships.