Latest news with #Breaking2
Mint
13 hours ago
- Sport
- Mint
Why Faith Kipyegon's attempt at the sub-4-minute mile matters
Last Thursday Simta Sharma stayed up till 11.30pm, uncharacteristically glued to the television. Despite an early start the next morning, the Bengaluru-based 36-year-old software professional was not going to miss it. Martin Owens, head coach at Odisha Reliance Foundation High Performance Centre, who was in Europe traveling with his athletes that day, too was keeping a close eye on what was happening in Paris that evening. Breaking 4 was, after all, the biggest moonshot in the world of athletics this year where 34-year-old Faith Kipyegon, Kenya's triple Olympic gold medallist and world record holder in 1,500m and the mile (1,600m), was attempting to become the first woman to run a mile under 4 minutes. Breaking4, Nike's brand new campaign to break another time barrier, comes on the back of the success of its Breaking2 project in which multiple Olympic medallist Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya became the first man ever to run a marathon in under 2 hours under controlled conditions in Vienna in 2019. BREAKING THE BARRIER Sharma, a recreational runner with multiple podium finishes in long distance races ranging from 10km to the full marathon, wasn't sure if Kipyegon would be able to pull off the feat but she found enough inspiration in the fact that the athlete was even attempting it. 'To know that a woman is breaking a big barrier and can run as fast as or faster than men motivates me and makes me happy. It shows I can do more and achieve better times in my races. I was really rooting for her," says Sharma. Owens, owing to his greater experience in elite athletics than Sharma, knew it was a long shot but all the same thought the mere attempt to break the 4-minute mile barrier for women was significant. The first man to run a mile under 4 minutes was Roger Banister, who ran a mile in 3 minutes 59.40 seconds in 1954. On Thursday in Paris, Kipyegon went faster than she ever has and completed the mile in 4 minutes 6.42 seconds, about a second faster than her own world record of 4 minutes 7.64 seconds. 'It was a phenomenal performance to run 4.06… really outstanding… but it shows how difficult it is. Faith did exceptionally well but we still have a long way to go," says Owens. Breaking the 4-minute barrier for women will be a historic moment, feel Sharma and Owens. 'When Banister did it, it was a big deal because people didn't think it was possible. He showed it could be done and once that psychological barrier was overcome, a lot of people ran a mile under 4 minutes," notes Owens. 'For women [breaking the 4-minute mile] shows that women's athletics and sports is getting on par with men and that the world is no longer patronising women about them being the weaker, fairer sex. If a woman bags a 4-minute mile, it puts her ahead of a lot of very good male runners," says Owens explaining the significance of Kipyegon's attempt. 'Women in India need to see some positive role models and I think Faith would be a very good role model for young Indian women to get out there and participate in athletics." BRAND VALUE While achieving the 4-minute mile is undoubtedly a huge landmark for women's sports, many also see this as a strategic marketing move by Nike given that the sports brand developed new shoes, an aerodynamic skinsuit and a 3D printed sports bra to help Kipyegon. After all, Nike's Breaking2 attempt immediately led to a huge demand for carbon plate-powered road running shoes despite the hefty price tag. Owens is quick to point out that track spikes are unlikely to lead to much demand or sales as was the case with road running shoes but 'it makes for a great story." Given the slowing profits and the stiff competition that the brand has been facing from new brands such as On and Hoka One One, Nike is badly in need of a great story that can improve its fortunes, relevance and sales. But Nike is probably looking at innovation, design evolution and sales too. The upper of the prototype spikes that Kipyegon wore for her effort in Paris weighs just 3 grams. That material could potentially appear in Nike's other race day shoes soon. The 3D printed bra and skin suit are what Sharma is already eyeing if they can actually help her improve her race timings. Talking of timings, Owens has no doubt that a woman will pull off a 4-minute mile. 'It will be a significant milestone in the history of athletics when that does happen and it will happen. Faith did exceptionally well but we still have got a long way to go," says Owens, relieved for now that the new technology used in shoes, apparel and modern day race tracks doesn't make athletic achievement that easy. Shrenik Avlani is a writer and editor and the co-author of The Shivfit Way, a book on functional fitness.
France 24
6 days ago
- Sport
- France 24
Faith Kipyegon misses out on bid for first female sub-4 minute mile
Aided by wavelight technology and 13 pacers, 11 male and two women, Kipyegon clocked 4min 06.42sec over 1.6km in perfect conditions at Stade Charlety in south Paris. The time was better than her own world record of 4:07.64 in the non-Olympic event set in Monaco in 2023. But it will not stand as a new world record given the presence of male pacemakers. "I'm exhausted, I feel tired," said the 31-year-old Kipyegon. "I tried to be the fastest woman under four minutes, I've proven it's possible, it's only a matter of time. I think it will come one day, if not me someone else." Kipyegon went through the bell for the final lap in 3:01.84, meaning she'd have to lay down an impossibly fast last 400m. No woman has ever attempted the sub-4min feat, which was first achieved in 1954 by Britain Roger Bannister -- in 3min 59.4sec -- in what has gone down as one of track running's most momentous achievements. When Bannister ran a sub-four minute mile 71 years ago, racing conditions were very different. The Briton did it after a morning's work at a hospital during a meet on a cinder track in Oxford and wearing heavy spiked shoes. Almost 2,000 male athletes have gone on to run sub-4min times since 1954. In the unofficial race in Paris organised by Nike, Kipyegon benefitted from the wealth of her sponsor's technological support, sporting a custom-made suit as well as new Victory Elite FK shoes. The "Breaking 4" project follows on six years after Eliud Kipchoge's "Breaking 2" -- when the Kenyan became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours. Kipchoge was in place to welcome his training partner across the line as the pacers quickly gathered around to congratulate her on her effort. But the task of trimming nearly eight seconds off her world record time proved beyond the three-time Olympic 1500m gold medallist who is also a four-time world champion (1500m -- 2017, 2022, 2023; 5,000m -- 2023). "I'm so grateful for today," Kipyegon said. "I gave everything. "It was not easy, as I said when I was preparing for it. But I wanted to prove to the world that everything is possible." Kipyegon, who is yet to decide whether she will do the 1500/5,000m double at September's world championships in Tokyo, added: "This was the first trial. I've learned many lessons from this race. "I will go back to the drawing board to see where I can improve. One time, one day, it will come my way. There's more in the tank."
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Inside Nike's Breaking4 as Faith Kipyegon looks to go where no woman has before
Faith Kipyegon will look to become the first woman to break four minutes for a mile in Paris tonight, helped by her sponsor's full box of science and innovation tricks 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.
France 24
25-06-2025
- Sport
- France 24
Kenya's Kipyegon seeks history with four minute mile attempt
Already the world record holder in this non-Olympic distance equivalent to 1.6km, Kipyegon will nevertheless have to smash her own benchmark of 4min 07.64sec by gaining almost two seconds per 400m. No woman has ever attempted the feat, which was first achieved in 1954 by Roger Bannister -- in 3min 59.4sec -- in what has gone down as one of track running's most momentous achievements. When Bannister ran a sub-four minute mile 71 years ago, racing conditions were very different. The Briton did it after a morning's work at a hospital during a meet on a cinder track in Oxford and wearing heavy spiked shoes. In the unofficial race in Paris organised by Nike, 31-year-old Kipyegon will benefit from the wealth of her sponsor's technological support. The "Breaking 4" project follows on six years after Eliud Kipchoge's "Breaking 2" -- when the Kenyan became the first man to run a marathon in under two hours. For the attempt, Kipyegon will sport a custom-made suit as well as new Victory Elite FK shoes. She will also reportedly be accompanied by a team of male pacemakers around the Stade Charlety track. Despite all this, some believe that the task of trimming nearly eight seconds off her world record time will be beyond the three-time Olympic 1500m gold medallist. "Spoiler alert. She's not going to break 4:00. And it's not going to be particularly close," said Robert Johnson, co-founder of the specialist site He highlighted Kipyegon's comeback race, when she ran a 1,000m in China at the end of April in 2min 29.21sec. "She was fantastic... To nearly break a world record in your season opener is amazing and shows you why Kipyegon is one of track & field's all-time greats," said Johnson. "If you run 2:29.21 1000m pace for 1609 meters -— otherwise known as a mile -- You get 4:00.08.. To break 4:00, Kipyegon would have to run an extra 609 meters faster than what she ran (that) day." Kipyegon, nonetheless, has the backing of certain fellow long-distance Olympians, with Norway's double champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen telling AFP: "I'm really intrigued to see if it's possible. "It seems completely crazy." © 2025 AFP
Fashion Network
23-04-2025
- Business
- Fashion Network
Nike seeks brand boost in shoe science for Kipyegon's 4-minute mile bid
At a time when its knack for innovation is in question, Nike on Wednesday announced a project to help Kenyan running superstar Faith Kipyegon do what no woman ever has: run a mile in under four minutes. Nike said it is helping Kipyegon train, and designing shoes and apparel customized to her body, under an initiative it's dubbed "Breaking4". Kipyegon will try to break the record on June 26, at the Stade Charlety, in Paris. The gambit, sure to turn heads in the running universe, comes as Nike scrambles to reestablish dominance in the sneaker and sportswear industry amid a prolonged slide that hastened the exit of former CEO John Donahoe last year. Partly driving the slump is a dry spell in the kinds of cutting-edge shoes Nike had become known for, incorporating new methods, materials and science to boost performance and attract runners. Rivals like On and Deckers-owned Hoka, opens new tab have steadily stolen market share, and Nike in March forecast a steeper-than-expected drop in fourth-quarter revenue. No surprise, then, that Breaking4 hinges on new shoe designs, aerodynamics, and advanced scans of Kipyegon's feet and body. "Nike has been criticized for not having enough innovative products," said Morningstar analyst David Swartz, so if it can deploy technology in a way that helps set a record, "it would certainly attract a lot of attention." The current women's one-mile record, just under 4:08, was set by Kipyegon herself, in 2023. To shave eight seconds off a run in just two years is a tall task, and success isn't guaranteed. In a similar 2016 initiative called Breaking2, Nike worked with three runners to break the two-hour marathon, but none did. Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge got closest at 2:00:25, but his run wasn't recognized as a record because he was assisted by teams of pace-setters. Breaking2 is remembered for Nike's introduction of the Vaporfly, a controversial carbon-plated sneaker that retails for around $250 and has been shown to improve performance - but is viewed by some as technological doping. The company has so far declined to offer specifics on innovations planned for Kipyegon. Initiatives like this are "good publicity" regardless of outcome, Swartz said, especially after new CEO Elliott Hill, and other company leaders, vowed to refocus the brand's identity around core sports like running. At the same time, the sportswear industry is more crowded than it was a few years ago, and "if this campaign does well, it won't necessarily mean every runner will suddenly be wearing [Kipyegon's] shoes,' said Jessica Ramirez, co-founder of retail advisory firm The Consumer Collective. It's a significant moment for the three-time Olympic Gold medalist Kipyegon, 31, a native of Kenya's Rift Valley province. Kipyegon has condemned a rash of gender-based murders of Kenyan women, including high-profile athletes like runner Agnes Tirop. Mother to a daughter, Kipyegon said in a statement on Wednesday she's running 'to say to women, 'You can dream and make your dreams valid.'' Breaking4 could also appeal to key regions of Nike consumers. For example, running has grown increasingly popular in China, where Nike sales fell 17% last quarter, worrying investors.
