- Faith Kipyegon failed to run the mile in under four minutes but set a new world record on Thursday, June 26, in Paris
- The triple Olympic champion lowered her world record to 4:06.42 but the mark will not be officially recognised by World Athletics
- Kipyegon set the mile world record in 2023 and needed to shave around eight seconds to break the barrier
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Faith Kipyegon quest to break the four-minute mile barrier fell short in Paris on Thursday but she set a world record in the distance which won’t be recognised.
What is Faith Kipyegon’s mile attempt?
Kipyegon has held the women’s mile record since 2023. She clocked 4:07.64 at the Monaco Diamond League. That same year, she set a world record in the 1500m and 5000m.
The women’s mile world record has been broken two times since 1996. Her old rival Sifan Hassan broke Svetlana Masterkova’s record in 2019 before Kipyegon became the first woman to run the distance under 4:10.
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On Thursday, she was aiming to become the first woman to clock a sub-4 but it wasn’t to be. She clocked 4:06.42 in front of a small crowd at the Stade Charléty in Paris.
With multiple Olympic and world titles, the 31-year-old has achieved everything in her career. She said there’s nothing left other than breaking the barrier when Nike announced the Breaking4 project.
“I’m a three-time Olympic champion. I’ve achieved World Championship titles. I thought, What else? Why not dream outside the box?” said Kipyegon. “And I told myself, ‘If you believe in yourself, and your team believes in you, you can do it.’”
Shaving off nearly eight seconds was no easy feat.
“I want this attempt to say to women, ‘You can dream and make your dreams valid,’” she said. “This is the way to go as women, to push boundaries and dream big.”
What is the mile?
The mile is almost similar to the 1500m, a distance Kipyegon has dominated for the last few years. However, the mile is 109.34 metres longer than the 1500m, per Runners World.
The report adds that while the mile has existed since the 16th century, it has never been a standard Olympic event. In contrast, the 1500m has featured in every Olympic Games since the inaugural edition in 1896.
Why will Kipyegon’s mile record not be recognised?
Eliud Kipchoge made a similar attempt to break the barrier in the men’s marathon, running under two hours on his second try. However, World Athletics did not recognise the achievement.
If Kipyegon ran under four minutes, it was not going to be official.
The main reason is that it was not a competition; it is a staged race. World Athletics competition rules state that:
“A World Record shall be made in a bona fide competition which has been duly arranged, advertised and authorised…”
Moreover, Kipyegon used unapproved shoes and will likely use pacemakers.
Eliud Kipchoge wishes Kipyegon well
In a related story, TUKO.co.ke reported on Kipchoge’s beautiful message to Kipyegon.
The 40-year-old, who broke the marathon world record twice, said his compatriot is an inspiration to the world.
Kipchoge is in Paris along with his coach, Patrick Sang, to support Kipyegon in her quest to make history.
Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
