Faith Kipyegon is set for a bumper reward from Alexis Ohanian, the husband of tennis legend Serena Williams, if she manages to run a mile in under four minutes during Thursday’s historic attempt in Paris.
In a tweet shared on X (formerly Twitter), Ohanian, an entrepreneur and vocal supporter of women’s sports, pledged $100,000 (over Ksh 12 million) to Kipyegon. This is if she will achieve the remarkable feat.
“We’ve got $100K on @Kipyegon_Faith to break the world record!! .You better believe we’ll swiftly wire (just like for all our Athlos athletes at our record-breaking meet last year),” Ohanian wrote.
Kipyegon is the reigning world champion in both the 1500m and 5000m. She already holds the world record in the mile with a time of 4:07.64. She set at the 2023 Monaco Diamond League. Now, she aims to become the first woman in history to dip under the four-minute barrier. All this, is set at Stade Charléty in Paris on June 26.
Meanwhile, Ohanian’s offer is part of his broader efforts to uplift women’s track and field. In 2024, he launched Athlos, an all-women’s track meet that showcased elite female athletes in a high-energy, fan-focused environment. The event was a major success and is set to return even bigger in 2025.
Ohanian had already confirmed that star sprinters Sha’Carri Richardson, Tara Davis-Woodhall, and Gabby Thomas will be joining Athlos. They will be founding advisor-owners, as he continues to invest in making track and field as exciting and rewarding as other major sports.
