Kenyan middle-distance icon Faith Kipyegon is set to make history this Thursday, June 26, when she attempts to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes.
The highly anticipated event will take place at the Stade Sébastien Charléty in Paris, fittingly, the same venue where Kipyegon broke both the 1500m and 5,000m world records.
The race will be streamed live at 1:15 p.m. ET on Prime Video and Nike’s YouTube channel. It will also be available on Nike’s Instagram, TikTok, and Douyin platforms.
The time trial, officially titled “Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile”, mirrors the ambitious challenge Nike supported for Eliud Kipchoge when he broke the two-hour marathon barrier. Now, Kipyegon is taking on her own version of history, with Nike once again providing extensive support.
At 31, Kipyegon already boasts three Olympic gold medals over 1500m and is the current world record-holder in the mile, thanks to her blistering 4:07.64 performance in Monaco two years ago. To crack the elusive 4-minute mark, she will need to shave nearly eight seconds off that time. That is a monumental challenge in middle-distance running.
For this attempt, Kipyegon will wear a custom-built pair of Victory Elite FK spikes. It is 25 percent lighter than her previous model. It features a ZoomX midsole, carbon-fiber plate, and lightweight mesh upper. She’ll also don a specially designed speed suit and a 3D-printed performance sports bra created for the event.
The build-up to this moment has been captured in a two-part documentary series titled Breaking4. The first episode, which explores her training and life in Kenya, premiered on June 20 on Prime Video. The second episode, which will cover the time trial itself, is set to be released in July.