Inside Nike's Breaking4 as Faith Kipyegon looks to go where no woman has before
Faith Kipyegon will look to go where no woman has before by attempting to break four minutes for a mile tonight (June 26). And while the greatest female middle distance athlete of all time admits it is a 'moonshot', the full weight of Nike's innovation machine gives her a chance.
Kipyegon's world record, set in July 2023, stands at 4:07.64 – meaning she will need to run two seconds quicker per lap at Paris' Stade Charlety, where she last year obliterated the 1500m record.
'This is the biggest challenge I've ever had in my life,' she says.
But with three consecutive Olympic titles and four World Championship golds, plus records across multiple distances, the Kenyan great was left thinking: 'What else? Why not dream outside the box?'
If she does achieve what has seemed impossible, World Athletics will not ratify it as an official record.
That is because she will be assisted by a suite of tools not eligible for standard races – in a similar mould to Eliud Kipchoge's Breaking 2 project nine years ago.
Nike have created unapproved spikes specifically for her feet and a speedsuit with nodes that they say will reduce wind resistance.
She will then be supported by a team of interchangeable pacers – including rivals such as Britain's Georgia Hunter Bell – formed in the shape of number 7 to ensure there is no drag.
It is all very similar to Kipchoge's initial Nike-backed marathon attempt in 2017 when he fell narrowly short of running sub-two hours but went quicker than the then world record.
The smart money is on a similar result here and the 3 per cent improvement required compared to her current best is much higher than Kipchoge's target.
Her current record is 4.67secs faster than the second best set by Dutch maverick Sifan Hassan – underlining both how far ahead of every other woman she is and how tomorrow's quest is really a moonshot.
Still, Kipyegon is leaning into her mentor and great friend Kipchoge's motto of 'no human is limited.'
Seven years ago she became a mother and roared back to win 1500m gold in Tokyo and Paris while lowering the record in that event, the Mile and 5000m (which has since been beaten).
Throughout Kipyegon has become adored by her rivals, with those reduced to the minor placings saying that they have been inspired rather than demoralised by her dominance.
And that, more than it being a marketing stunt for her biggest sponsor, is the real essence of this challenge. Almost 2,000 men have broken the sub-four barrier since Sir Roger Bannister managed what he was told could never be done 71 years ago.
Kipyegon has already blazed the trail for women's sport, forcing her competition to run faster than they ever thought possible. But to smash one of the great remaining barriers, even in this manufactured setting, will again redefine the boundaries of physical limits.
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'Generally, it's dads and grandads that get girls into the sport. 'But once they are there, it can feel like they don't belong. Male fans are push them out. 'Men are often the people that bring women in, but men can be the people who put women out of sport.' Male fans can be just as brutal and bullying towards each other. 'It seems there's an undermining aspect,' she adds. 'Male fans will typically call someone a 'real fan' if they have been there for years, if they can answer all the questions, show up wearing all the merchandise. 'They have quite a prescribed list of what makes someone a 'fan'. 'Female fans seem to be more flexible; they just want you to have an interest in it. 'A lot of the abuse comes from those different definitions. 'Because someone doesn't know what happened in, say, the 1978 season, it opens up to 'how can you be a real fan?' 'It spirals from general fan banter to more systemic abuse and hate speech.' Racing driver Abbi Pulling features in new Netflix series F1: The Academy Online abuse within motorsport fan circles isn't only targeted at women. In recent weeks, F1 drivers Yuki Tsunoda and Jack Doohan have been at the centre of vile online comments while the FIA, F1, F2 and F3 came together in a joint statement condemning all forms of abuse and harassment. There are fine lines between gentle jibes and abuse, Kimberley adds. 'Fans will never all get on and it would be silly to think we can do this work and everyone will be best friends afterwards. 'And sport has that competitive edge, where you can go at it against one another. 'It's about finding where that difference lies and how we make the sphere safer for people to be in.' Read more by Sandra Dick: Meanwhile, there are positive signs. The FIA's United Against Online Abuse coalition was set up in 2022 by FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem in response to the growing crisis of online abuse across the sporting world. It works with sports federations, national governments, regulatory bodies, and technology platforms, with the aim of fostering regulatory and behavioural change to combat the rise of online harassment and hate speech. And initiatives like F1 Academy and More Than Equal, co-founded by ex-Formula 1 driver David Coulthard and dedicated to discovering and mentoring female talent into the sport, are paving the way for new drivers. "It's about application," he said recently when asked if women could compete physically with men in an F1 seat. "If you work yourself physically, then there's no physical reason a woman can't drive in F1. The rest is down to skill." Former racing driver David Coulthard founded women drivers' campaign More Than Equal (Image: Getty) 'There are many things on going on to increase (female) participation, whether as competitors, in the workforce or as a fan of motorsport,' adds Kimberley. 'I think over time motorsport is going to become more inclusive and while I don't think we'll ever get a 50-50 split, we will get closer, and maybe females will no longer feel marginalised. 'The goal is about making it more inclusive for everyone regardless of race, gender or background.'
