Breaking4: 3 Times Faith Kipyegon Conquered Paris Ahead of Historic Race
- Faith Kipyegon will compete at the Stade Charléty in Paris on Thursday, June 26, in her latest bold attempt at history
- Kipyegon is seeking to become the first woman to run the mile race in under four minutes in a project dubbed Breaking4
- As you will see herein, the three-time Olympic champion is no stranger to etching her name in record books when she competes in Paris
Faith Kipyegon will return to the familiar streets of Paris when she attempts to rewrite history in the mile race.
Source: Getty Images
When is Faith Kipyegon's Breaking4 race?
The race, which has been dubbed Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile, is a bold attempt by Kipyegon and her main sponsors, Nike, to ensure she runs the mile under 4 minutes.
The race will take place on Thursday, June 26, at Stade Charléty in Paris, France, at 8:15pm.
TUKO.co.ke has done an in-depth all-you-need-to-know piece on Kipyegon's historic race.
Why is Faith Kipyegon's Breaking4 in Paris?
Of all the locations Nike could have picked, the global sportswear powerhouse settled on the French capital after much consideration.
As the Vice President of Nike Sport Research Lab, Jones Vaterlaus, explains, they wanted to get a location that would minimise a major shift in time zones and help Kipyegon's body clock 'from feeling out of whack.'
"We knew she couldn’t arrive feeling drained. Paris, having a time zone of one hour difference from Kenya, was a much easier decision than, say, somewhere in the United States, where Faith’s jet lag would be significant."
Times Faith Kipyegon made history in Paris
And what a location it is! For everything Kipyegon has achieved in her career, Paris is one city that is arguably particularly very close to her heart.
Paris for the mother of one is synonymous with winning, making history and breaking world records.
Let's take a trip down memory lane and relive the times Kipyegon conquered Paris.
Source: Getty Images
1. June 9, 2023 - Paris Diamond League
If at all, someone is scripting Kipyegon's life, then perhaps 2023 was the best plot yet, as she broke three world records in under two months.
The second of these world records came on June 9 at the Paris Diamond League when she broke the women's 5000m record.
Kipyegon crossed the line with a time of 14:05.20, shattering the previous record of 14:06.62 held by Ethiopian Letesenbet Gidey. She beat Gidey in the race, who settled for second.
Seven days earlier, she had broken the world record in her favourite 1500m in Florence, Italy. One could argue that the 1500m was a long time coming, but the 5000m was completely out of the blue, given this was only the third time she was competing in the distance.
"I didn’t think about the world record, I don’t know how I made it. I just wanted to improve on my PB, the world record was not my plan. I just ran after Gidey – she is an amazing lady," she told World Athletics.
2. July 7, 2024 - Paris Diamond League
Slightly over one year later, the mother of one returned to Meeting de Paris and this time sent a strong statement of intent to her 1500m rivals one month before the Paris Olympics.
This time, Kipyegon lowered her own world record in the 1500m. Well, the 1500m is basically Kipyegon's baby, but everyone, herself included, was surprised when she ran 3:49.04.
No other woman has ever run the 1500m race under 3:50.
3. August 10, 2024 - Paris Olympics
A month later, Kipyegon returned to France and on the purple track of a packed Stade de France, won her third consecutive Olympic gold medal in the 1500m and a seventh global title.
If there was any doubt she was the greatest 1500m runner of all time, they were surely wiped out after that 3:51.29 run, a new Olympic record.
So dominant was her performance that second-place finisher Jessica Hull crossed the line more than a minute after Kipyegon.
"It's a big, big achievement. I was really looking forward to defending my title, and I had a dream. It’s amazing to me that I completed it. I'm so, so happy. This is history. I managed to make history. I've done it. This is an amazing honour; to win the gold medal in the 1500m was my key target."
Will she write more history in Paris on Thursday evening?
Why Faith Kipyegon's potential record won't be recognised
In a related report, we explained why Faith Kipyegon's potential record won't be recognised by World Athletics if she breaks it on June 26.
Kipyegon will certainly lower her own world record of 4:07.64 when she competes in the special Nike event in Paris.
However, it will not be recognised by he official global body in charge of Athletics as the race conditions do not meet the set criteria.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
