Faith Kipyegon ran a sensational 4:06.42 mile in Paris on Thursday night, coming heartbreakingly close to becoming the first woman in history to break the four-minute barrier.
The race, staged as a high-tech exhibition event dubbed “Breaking4,” was held at Stade Sébastien Charléty and featured a setup custom-built to give Kipyegon the best possible shot at rewriting the record books.
Backed by Nike and supported by elite male pacers. Kipyegon raced in a precisely optimized environment that included a rotating pacing formation, the Wavelight laser pacing system, and custom-engineered apparel to reduce drag and improve efficiency.
The time trial, officially titled “Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile.” It mirrored the bold experiment Nike staged for Eliud Kipchoge’s sub-two-hour marathon. Kipyegon hit 400m in 1:00.20, 800m in 2:00.63 and 1200m in 3:01.84 to the route to her 4:06.42 finish.
At 31, Kipyegon came into the race as a three-time Olympic champion. Also as the current world record-holder in the mile, having clocked 4:07.64 in Monaco two years ago.
After the race, an emotional Kipyegon said;
“I’m exhausted… really tired,” she said, catching her breath. “But I’ve proven it’s possible. I believe one day, a woman will do it. I still hope to get it myself. Thank you all for coming out.I didn’t expect to see such a crowd tonight.”
Though she missed the historic milestone by 6.91 seconds, it was a performance that reminded the world just how close we are to witnessing history. The sub-4 mile remains untouched.