Latest news with #subfourminute
RNZ News
02-07-2025
- Sport
- RNZ News
Kiwi teenager Sam Ruthe has another crack at a sub-four-minute mile
New Zealand runner Sam Ruthe. Photo: Andrew Cornaga/ Tauranga teenager Sam Ruthe has another sub four minute mile in his sights as he prepares to compete at the famous Prefontaine Classic in the United States this weekend. In March, Ruthe became the youngest runner to break four minutes for the mile, with a 3m 58.35s performance at Auckland's Mt Smart Stadium. Paced throughout by training partner and two-time Olympian Sam Tanner, Ruthe became the first 15-year-old to duck under the mythical benchmark for middle-distance running. The pair will line-up together again in Eugene, Oregon on Sunday in the International Mile which is a part of the Diamond League meeting. Now 16-years-old, Ruthe aims to be the youngest ever to break four minutes in the mile on US soil, a record currently held by Norwegian star Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Ingebrigtsen was 16 years and 250 days old at the time. Technically the B race at the meet, the International Mile does have some quality runners featuring 3:50 miler Cooper Teare of the US and the USA's top high-schooler Owen Powell. Shot-putters Tom Walsh and Maddison-Lee Wesche are also competing at the event. Anna Grimaldi stars in an ever growing para-program at the Prefontaine Classic. Competing in a mixed-classification 100m para. She'll line up against USA's Brittni Mason who finished ahead of Grimaldi at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games over the 100m T47. Mitch Joynt will also line up at the 50th edition of the Pre Classic in the 200m T62 / T64 Para. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Forbes
29-06-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Faith Kipyegon Sets New World Best In The Mile
Kipyegon of Kenya reacts after the "Breaking4" event, at Stade Charlety, Paris, France, June 26, ... More 2025. Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya fell well short in her bid to become the first woman to run a sub-four minute mile here on Thursday. (Photo by Gao Jing/Xinhua via Getty Images) On June 26th, three-time Olympic champion and three-time world record holder Faith Kipyegon headed to Paris, France, in hopes of achieving the unthinkable. Kipyegon, the current world record holder in the mile at 4:07.64, attempted to break four minutes in the event. Although Kipyegon did not achieve the goal, she did set a new world best of 4:06.42. She also proved that a sub-four-minute time may be even more possible than we think. Here is a guide that details some of the specifics of what will be hailed as one of the greatest days in women's track and field history. What Is Breaking4 And How Did It Come To Be? Kenya's Faith Kipyegon (R) takes part in the "Breaking4" event in an attempt to become the first ... More woman to run a mile in under four minutes at Stade Charlety on June 26, 2025 in Paris. Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya fell well short in her bid to become the first woman to run a sub-four minute mile on June 26. Aided by wavelength technology and 13 pacers, 11 male and two women, Kipyegon clocked 4min 06.42sec over 1.6km in perfect conditions. (Photo by EMMA DA SILVA / AFP) (Photo by EMMA DA SILVA/AFP via Getty Images) In April of this year, Nike announced its new journey, which involved the current women's mile world record holder, Kipyegon, attempting to break the four-minute barrier in the event. Kipyegon's record is 4:07.64, meaning she would have to shave off almost eight seconds to not just rewrite history but to shatter it. Despite this seeming impossible, Nike is known for investing in projects that push the boundaries of physical capabilities and human comprehension. Most notably, they did something similar with marathon legend Eliud Kipchoge. Kipchoge's venture was called Breaking2, aimed at breaking the two-hour barrier in the marathon. Nike's hope with Kipyegon was to develop a holistic system that incorporated innovation in every aspect of her race. This included shoes, her racing kit, her training, her pacers, the location of the race, the date of the race, and more. Nike utilized as much research as possible to create the most optimal conditions for Kipyegon to challenge history. The complete Breaking4 journey was heavily documented on Amazon Prime, produced by the company Box to Box, which is the same production company that developed Netflix's SPRINT and Drive to Survive. On June 26th, Kipyegon's race was streamed in several locations, including Nike's YouTube channel, Nike's Twitch stream, and Amazon Prime. The broadcast included commentary from track and field legends, such as nine-time Olympic gold medalist and world record holder Carl Lewis, as well as two-time Olympic medalist and champion Keely Hodgkinson. With everyone involved putting their best foot forward, Kipyegon embarked on a journey no one had ever dared to try before. The world record holder and Olympic champion came through her first lap at 1:00.02. Her time through 800 meters was 2:00.75. When she completed her third lap, she ran 3:00.22, meaning she was undoubtedly on pace to earn a sub-4-minute time. As Kipyegon moved through her final time around the oval, the pacers, as planned, began to break out of formation and cheer for her as she continued to make her way to the finish line. Despite everything lining up perfectly, June 26th, unfortunately, wasn't the day for sub-4 to manifest itself. Kipyegon and all of her strength came through the line at 4:06.42, just over a full second faster than her world record. Although she did not achieve under four minutes, it is worth noting that even Kipchoge did not break two hours during the Breaking2 project. He did eventually go on to do it later in his career. This means there is hope for Kipyegon to achieve this goal in the future. A New Record Emerged, Here's Why It Won't Count As An Official World Record Kipyegon R of Kenya takes part in the "Breaking4" event, at Stade Charlety, Paris, France, June 26, ... More 2025. Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya fell well short in her bid to become the first woman to run a sub-four minute mile here on Thursday. (Photo by Gao Jing/Xinhua via Getty Images) Kipyegon's new time cannot be considered a world record because several rules were broken to give her attempt the best chance possible of succeeding. For this historic journey, Kipyegon utilized male pacers to help establish the pace of the race. The decision to use male pacers was made for several reasons, but the main one is that Kipyegon is already the fastest woman in history. Dropping more than seven seconds off of her already historical time is a tall ask. Regardless of gender, the necessity of using a pacer was without question. World Athletics allows pacers in races, but they must be the same gender as the competitors in the race. Since there is no other woman faster than Kipyegon, the most reliable and efficient option was to use male pacers. Kipyegon's pacers included some of the world's best athletes, including world record holder and two-time Olympic medalist Grant Fisher. During the broadcast, the commentators noted that, out of all the pacers involved, Kipyegon felt most comfortable running side-by-side with Fisher due to his running style. It is worth noting that not all of the pacers were male. Georgia Hunter Bell and Jemma Reekie also joined the crew, both Olympic athletes for Great Britain. Bell is the Olympic bronze medalist in the 1500 meters from Paris and is the eleventh fastest woman of all time in the event. Reekie is a world indoor silver medalist in the 1500 meters and made the Olympic final in Tokyo. Not only were the pacers there to help set the pace, but they were also there to execute specific running formations around Kipyegon to minimize the amount of wind resistance she'd feel during the race. Kenya's Faith Kipyegon (2dn R) takes part in the "Breaking4" event in an attempt to become the first ... More woman to run a mile in under four minutes at Stade Charlety on June 26, 2025 in Paris. Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon of Kenya fell well short in her bid to become the first woman to run a sub-four minute mile on June 26. Aided by wavelength technology and 13 pacers, 11 male and two women, Kipyegon clocked 4min 06.42sec over 1.6km in perfect conditions. (Photo by EMMA DA SILVA / AFP) (Photo by EMMA DA SILVA/AFP via Getty Images) Although she did not achieve what most had hoped for, there is light in recognizing that she was on pace to break the record, coming through 1200 meters at 3:00.22. This means the pacers executed their jobs well. Besides using male pacers, Kipyegon was also running in shoes that World Athletics had not yet approved. In a video posted by Citius Mag, a representative at Nike explained the science behind the shoes she wore. "This is what we call the Victory Elite FK," said the representative. 'This is the tallest air unit that has ever been in a spike…' When Kipyegon broke the world record in 2023, she was wearing a version of the Victory Elite spikes. To give her a greater advantage, Nike did everything possible to be as innovative as possible when structuring the shoe she wore on Thursday. According to an article in Believe In The Run, Nike refined every part of the shoe to make it lighter, faster, and specifically made for Kipyegon and her running style. Standard running spikes weigh around 4.8 ounces. Nike confirmed that Kipyegon's new super shoes were somewhere around three. The final reason her time won't be ratified is that her attempt did not occur during an actual race or a World Athletics sanctioned track meet. All of these reasons together are what will make her new 4:06.42 time be considered a world best as opposed to a world record. After her race, Kipyegon expressed nothing but positivity about the entire experience. She stated that she would aim to break the four-minute barrier again. "I've proven that it's possible," said Kipyegon. 'It's only a matter of time. It will come our way. If not me, it'll be someone else.' On Instagram, Kipchoge sang many praises for Kipyegon and her willingness to dream big. Kipyegon has not stated when she plans to try to go under four minutes again and whether it will be a setup similar to the event in Paris. However, she now has track and field fans looking forward to the day she will. Those looking to see Kipyegon run again will have the chance to watch her on July 5th in Eugene, Oregon, at the Prefontaine Classic. The world record holder will contest the 1500-meter alongside her Paris Olympic podium companions, Bell and Jessica Hull. The race will begin at 1:58 p.m. PST and can be found on NBC and Peacock.
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Faith Kipyegon believes a woman running a sub-four minute mile is close
Three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon insists it is just a 'matter of time' before a woman runs a sub-four minute mile after finishing her historic attempt in 4:06.42 in Paris. The Kenyan was looking to shave at least 7.65 seconds off her world-record time of 4:07.64, set in 2023, and needed to run each of her four laps an average of nearly two seconds faster. Advertisement The 31-year-old mother was flanked by a number of pacemakers, including British Olympians Georgia Hunter-Bell, Jemma Reekie and Elliot Giles at the the Stade Charlety, carefully chosen by the Kenyan's team from among 100 potential stadia for optimal conditions. Kenya's Faith Kipyegon is a three-time Olympic champion (PA) 'I'm exhausted,' said Kipyegon, speaking on Nike's official YouTube channel, which also live-streamed the event. 'I'm tired, but I'm feeling good. I've tried. That is why I came here. I would like to be the first woman to run under four minutes, but I've proven that it's possible. 'It's only a matter of time before I think it comes our way, even if it's not me, it will come one day. Advertisement 'I will not lose hope. I will still go for it.' Kipyegon's effort was still good enough for the fastest mile run by a woman in history, and 1.22 seconds faster than her own best. Though she did cross the line quicker than her world record, set at the Monaco Diamond League meet, it will not officially count as the 'Breaking4' event was not an official competition, and the Kenyan employed the use of male pacemakers, among other reasons. Her specially-designed equipment included a Nike fly suit, a bespoke bra and a first of its kind Victory 2 Elite FK spike, weighing about 21 grams lighter than the shoes she wore to break the world record. Advertisement 'This was really special,' added Kipyegon. 'I did not expect to see so many people, but I have proved to the world that everything is possible.' Kipyegon was out of the competitive arena for 21 months after the birth of her daughter, Alyn, in 2018, which required a caesarean section. Asked what message she wanted to send her daughter and girls watching, she said: 'I think I will tell them we are not limited. We can limit ourselves with our thoughts, but I think it is possible to try everything in our lives and prove to the world that we are strong and we keep pushing. 'Thank you (to my team, my pacemakers) for helping me to achieve what many people think is impossible. I think we have proved them wrong. We keep on moving.' Keely Hodgkinson says Faith Kipyegon has 'an aura' (John Walton/PA) British 800 metres Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, who was part of the broadcast team, said: 'She's got aura. I think that was incredible to watch. She was locked in, she gave it absolutely everything. 'She still believes she is going to go out there and get closer and closer, but it's that important message that she has opened that barrier, she's left a legacy whether it happened today or not. People are going to think, maybe it is (possible) and we're going to work even harder to get close to it.'
The Independent
27-06-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Faith Kipyegon believes a woman running a sub-four minute mile is close
Three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon insists it is just a 'matter of time' before a woman runs a sub-four minute mile after finishing her historic attempt in 4:06.42 in Paris. The Kenyan was looking to shave at least 7.65 seconds off her world-record time of 4:07.64, set in 2023, and needed to run each of her four laps an average of nearly two seconds faster. The 31-year-old mother was flanked by a number of pacemakers, including British Olympians Georgia Hunter-Bell, Jemma Reekie and Elliot Giles at the the Stade Charlety, carefully chosen by the Kenyan's team from among 100 potential stadia for optimal conditions. 'I'm exhausted,' said Kipyegon, speaking on Nike's official YouTube channel, which also live-streamed the event. 'I'm tired, but I'm feeling good. I've tried. That is why I came here. I would like to be the first woman to run under four minutes, but I've proven that it's possible. 'It's only a matter of time before I think it comes our way, even if it's not me, it will come one day. 'I will not lose hope. I will still go for it.' Kipyegon's effort was still good enough for the fastest mile run by a woman in history, and 1.22 seconds faster than her own best. Though she did cross the line quicker than her world record, set at the Monaco Diamond League meet, it will not officially count as the 'Breaking4' event was not an official competition, and the Kenyan employed the use of male pacemakers, among other reasons. Her specially-designed equipment included a Nike fly suit, a bespoke bra and a first of its kind Victory 2 Elite FK spike, weighing about 21 grams lighter than the shoes she wore to break the world record. 'This was really special,' added Kipyegon. 'I did not expect to see so many people, but I have proved to the world that everything is possible.' Kipyegon was out of the competitive arena for 21 months after the birth of her daughter, Alyn, in 2018, which required a caesarean section. Asked what message she wanted to send her daughter and girls watching, she said: 'I think I will tell them we are not limited. We can limit ourselves with our thoughts, but I think it is possible to try everything in our lives and prove to the world that we are strong and we keep pushing. 'Thank you (to my team, my pacemakers) for helping me to achieve what many people think is impossible. I think we have proved them wrong. We keep on moving.' British 800 metres Olympic champion Keely Hodgkinson, who was part of the broadcast team, said: 'She's got aura. I think that was incredible to watch. She was locked in, she gave it absolutely everything. 'She still believes she is going to go out there and get closer and closer, but it's that important message that she has opened that barrier, she's left a legacy whether it happened today or not. People are going to think, maybe it is (possible) and we're going to work even harder to get close to it.'
Yahoo
27-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Nike to cut China reliance to ease tariff hit, sending shares soaring
STORY: Nike missed one goal this week. It tried to help Kenyan runner Faith Kipyegon become the first woman to run a sub four-minute mile. In the end, she fell just short, but still set an unofficial new record. Off the track, the sportswear giant has a very different race to run. It's trying to beat the impact of Donald Trump's sweeping global tariffs. On Thursday the company said it would reduce its reliance on China for manufacturing goods it sells in the U.S. as part of the strategy. China currently accounts for about 16% of the shoes it imports to the United States. And Nike aims to cut that to the 'high single-digits' range by the end of May next year. Investors welcomed the news, sending Nike shares soaring 11% in after-hours trade. Also helping sentiment were forecast-beating results for the latest period. Fourth-quarter sales sank 12%, but analysts had expected even worse. China is the pain point there too, with executives saying a turnaround in the country will take time amid a weak economy and mounting competition. The company is now a bit more optimistic than analysts about the coming period, however. It predicts sales will see a percentage fall in the mid single-digits, or less than Wall Street has forecast. Analysts say running shoes are doing well for Nike, making up for expected declines in the sales of regular sneakers. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
