Faith Kipyegon ran a mile in 4 minutes, 6.42 seconds — more than a second faster than her world record — at “Breaking4,” a special event billed as Kipyegon’s attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes.
Video of Kipyegon’s mile is here.
“Exhausted,” Kipyegon said on the broadcast. “I’m tired, but I feel good I’ve tried. That is why I’m coming here, try to be the first woman to run under four minutes. But I’ve proven that it’s possible. It’s only a matter of time, but I think it will come to our way. If it’s not me, it will be somebody else.”
Kipyegon, a 31-year-old from Kenya, ran four laps of the track at Stade Sébastien Charléty in Paris.
In July 2023, she ran the official women’s mile world record of 4:07.64 in Monaco.
Thursday’s event was not record eligible as Kipyegon’s 13 pacers included men. The group included American Grant Fisher, the Olympic 5000m and 10,000m bronze medalist.
Kipyegon won the last three Olympic gold medals in the 1500m — the closest Olympic distance to the mile, which is 1,609 meters. She is the only woman to win any individual Olympic track race three times.
For Thursday’s event, Nike, which sponsors Kipyegon, developed what it called a system of speed: including a shoulder-to-knee, skin-tight suit and new “featherweight” shoes.
In 1954, Englishman Roger Bannister became the first man to run a mile under four minutes.
