Triple Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon has expressed pride and gratitude after daring to chase the historic sub-four-minute mile in Nike’s #Breaking4 challenge.
In a post, Kipyegon said the challenge was about pushing limits and inspiring young girls and women to believe in themselves, adding, “It’s not if, it’s when.”
“I dared to try,” she said in a heartfelt message after the event, where she attempted to run the mile in under four minutes.
During the race, Kipyegon fell short of her goal to break the 4-minute mile barrier in Paris.
Despite running the fastest mile ever by a woman with a time of 4:06.42, she did not achieve the sub-4-minute mark.
She thanked her team, Nike, the pacemakers, organisers, and fans worldwide for their support, saying the experience was a powerful reminder that courage and belief matter more than the outcome.
The event, titled "Breaking4," held at Stade Charlety in Paris, France, was a Nike-backed attempt to see if she could break the barrier.
The record compared to her previous time of 4:07.64, set in July 2023, will not be recognised as an official record because Kipyegon was assisted by a team of male and female pacemakers and wore technologically advanced kit and shoes at the Nike-sponsored 'Breaking4' event.
Kipyegon completed the third lap in 3:01.84, but her hopes of achieving the target gradually faded in the final 400m.
She was kitted out in an aerodynamic skinsuit and specially designed spikes as she targeted sub-60 second laps - an average speed of about 15 miles or 24 kilometres, per hour.
The 13 pacemakers, included Britain's Olympic 1500m bronze medallist Georgia Hunter Bell and Jemma Reekie, as she chased the Wavelights tracking her progress on the inside curb of the track.
The tape was held by her friend and training partner Eliud Kipchoge, who in 2019 became the first person to run a marathon in under two hours.
"I have proven that it is possible, it is only a matter of time. If it is not me, it will be somebody else," Kipyegon said after the race Friday night.
"I will not lose hope, I will still go for it. I hope I will get it one day."
Sending a message to her daughter and young girls watching the record attempt, she said: "I will tell them we are not limited. We can limit ourselves with thoughts, but it is possible to try everything and prove to the world that we are strong. Keep pushing."
