Faith Kipyegon falls short in bid for first sub-four-minute mile
Kenya's Faith Kipyegon has fallen short in her attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes.
Kipyegon clocked 4:06.42 in a Nike "Breaking4" project, a time quicker than her 2023 world record (4:07.64).
But her effort, run at Stade Charléty in Paris, will not be ratified, given the circumstances in which the record attempt was held.
The three-time Olympic gold medallist was assisted by innovative kit, super-spikes and a group of mostly male pacers, who blocked the wind on the track where she set her 1,500m world record last year.
Dressed in a black one-pieced suit with arm warmers, the diminutive Kenyan was swamped by her group of pacers, who were all world-class athletes themselves.
In a pre-designed plan, a group of five men ran in a line in front of her as "the shield", with American double Olympic bronze medallist Grant Fisher on her shoulder.
She was about on course at halfway but began to slip behind the coloured pacing lights inside the track and drifted on the final lap as she tied up over the last 200m.
Those male pacers meant — just as with compatriot Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two-hour marathon run with "in and out" pacers in 2019 — the new mark will not be recognised as a world record.
Kipyegon, however, was her usual upbeat self at the finish.
"I'm tired but I feel good and I tried," said Kipyegon, as she thanked the crowd of around 1,000 spectators who had given her enthusiastic support.
"That is why I was coming here — to try to be the first woman to run under four minutes.
"It's only a matter of time but I think it will come our way. If it's not me, it will be someone else.
"I know one day, one time, a woman will run under four. I will not lose hope.
"I will still go for it and if there's not something like this, a special one, I think in a normal Diamond League (meet), or anything, I will still go for it and I hope I will get it one day."
Great Britain's Roger Bannister was the first man to run the mile under four minutes in1954.
Compatriot Diane Leather was the first woman to break five minutes in the same year.
The current men's world record is 3:43.13, set by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999.
Reuters
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The Advertiser
9 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Kipyegon falls short in women's sub-4 minute mile bid
Kenya's Faith Kipyegon has fallen fell short in her attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes when she clocked 4:06.42 in a Nike "Breaking4" project that, though faster than her own world record, will not be ratified. The 31-year-old triple world and Olympic 1500 metres champion had needed to take more than seven seconds off her own 2023 world record of 4:07.64 but, despite a series of aids, managed to lower it by just over one second. She was helped by innovative new kit, super-spikes and, crucially, a phalanx of mostly male pacers who blocked the wind on the four-and-a-bit laps of the Stade Charlety track in Paris where she set her 1500m world record last year. Dressed in a black one-pieced suit with black arm warmers, the diminutive Kenyan was swamped by her group of pacers, mostly men and all world-class athletes themselves. In a pre-designed plan, a group of five men ran in a line in front of her as "the shield" with American double Olympic bronze medallist Grant Fisher on her shoulder. She was about on course at halfway but began to slip behind the coloured pacing lights inside the track and drifted on the final lap as she tied up over the last 200 metres. Those male pacers meant, just as with compatriot Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two-hour marathon run with "in and out" pacers in 2019, that the new mark will not be recognised as a world record. Kipyegon, however, was her usual upbeat self at the finish. "I'm tired but I feel good and I tried," she said, thanking the crowd of around a thousand people who had given her enthusiastic support. "That is why I was coming here - to try to be the first woman to run under four minutes. It's only a matter of time but I think it will come our way. If it's not me, it will be someone else. "So, yeah, I know one day, one time, a woman will run under four. I will not lose hope. I will still go for it and if there's not something like this, a special one, I think in a normal Diamond League, or anything, I will still go for it and I hope I will get it one day." Britain's Roger Bannister was the first man to go under four minutes in May 1954, with compatriot Diane Leather the first woman to break five minutes later the same month. The current men's record is the 3:43.13 set by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999. Kenya's Faith Kipyegon has fallen fell short in her attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes when she clocked 4:06.42 in a Nike "Breaking4" project that, though faster than her own world record, will not be ratified. The 31-year-old triple world and Olympic 1500 metres champion had needed to take more than seven seconds off her own 2023 world record of 4:07.64 but, despite a series of aids, managed to lower it by just over one second. She was helped by innovative new kit, super-spikes and, crucially, a phalanx of mostly male pacers who blocked the wind on the four-and-a-bit laps of the Stade Charlety track in Paris where she set her 1500m world record last year. Dressed in a black one-pieced suit with black arm warmers, the diminutive Kenyan was swamped by her group of pacers, mostly men and all world-class athletes themselves. In a pre-designed plan, a group of five men ran in a line in front of her as "the shield" with American double Olympic bronze medallist Grant Fisher on her shoulder. She was about on course at halfway but began to slip behind the coloured pacing lights inside the track and drifted on the final lap as she tied up over the last 200 metres. Those male pacers meant, just as with compatriot Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two-hour marathon run with "in and out" pacers in 2019, that the new mark will not be recognised as a world record. Kipyegon, however, was her usual upbeat self at the finish. "I'm tired but I feel good and I tried," she said, thanking the crowd of around a thousand people who had given her enthusiastic support. "That is why I was coming here - to try to be the first woman to run under four minutes. It's only a matter of time but I think it will come our way. If it's not me, it will be someone else. "So, yeah, I know one day, one time, a woman will run under four. I will not lose hope. I will still go for it and if there's not something like this, a special one, I think in a normal Diamond League, or anything, I will still go for it and I hope I will get it one day." Britain's Roger Bannister was the first man to go under four minutes in May 1954, with compatriot Diane Leather the first woman to break five minutes later the same month. The current men's record is the 3:43.13 set by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999. Kenya's Faith Kipyegon has fallen fell short in her attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes when she clocked 4:06.42 in a Nike "Breaking4" project that, though faster than her own world record, will not be ratified. The 31-year-old triple world and Olympic 1500 metres champion had needed to take more than seven seconds off her own 2023 world record of 4:07.64 but, despite a series of aids, managed to lower it by just over one second. She was helped by innovative new kit, super-spikes and, crucially, a phalanx of mostly male pacers who blocked the wind on the four-and-a-bit laps of the Stade Charlety track in Paris where she set her 1500m world record last year. Dressed in a black one-pieced suit with black arm warmers, the diminutive Kenyan was swamped by her group of pacers, mostly men and all world-class athletes themselves. In a pre-designed plan, a group of five men ran in a line in front of her as "the shield" with American double Olympic bronze medallist Grant Fisher on her shoulder. She was about on course at halfway but began to slip behind the coloured pacing lights inside the track and drifted on the final lap as she tied up over the last 200 metres. Those male pacers meant, just as with compatriot Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two-hour marathon run with "in and out" pacers in 2019, that the new mark will not be recognised as a world record. Kipyegon, however, was her usual upbeat self at the finish. "I'm tired but I feel good and I tried," she said, thanking the crowd of around a thousand people who had given her enthusiastic support. "That is why I was coming here - to try to be the first woman to run under four minutes. It's only a matter of time but I think it will come our way. If it's not me, it will be someone else. "So, yeah, I know one day, one time, a woman will run under four. I will not lose hope. I will still go for it and if there's not something like this, a special one, I think in a normal Diamond League, or anything, I will still go for it and I hope I will get it one day." Britain's Roger Bannister was the first man to go under four minutes in May 1954, with compatriot Diane Leather the first woman to break five minutes later the same month. The current men's record is the 3:43.13 set by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999. Kenya's Faith Kipyegon has fallen fell short in her attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes when she clocked 4:06.42 in a Nike "Breaking4" project that, though faster than her own world record, will not be ratified. The 31-year-old triple world and Olympic 1500 metres champion had needed to take more than seven seconds off her own 2023 world record of 4:07.64 but, despite a series of aids, managed to lower it by just over one second. She was helped by innovative new kit, super-spikes and, crucially, a phalanx of mostly male pacers who blocked the wind on the four-and-a-bit laps of the Stade Charlety track in Paris where she set her 1500m world record last year. Dressed in a black one-pieced suit with black arm warmers, the diminutive Kenyan was swamped by her group of pacers, mostly men and all world-class athletes themselves. In a pre-designed plan, a group of five men ran in a line in front of her as "the shield" with American double Olympic bronze medallist Grant Fisher on her shoulder. She was about on course at halfway but began to slip behind the coloured pacing lights inside the track and drifted on the final lap as she tied up over the last 200 metres. Those male pacers meant, just as with compatriot Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two-hour marathon run with "in and out" pacers in 2019, that the new mark will not be recognised as a world record. Kipyegon, however, was her usual upbeat self at the finish. "I'm tired but I feel good and I tried," she said, thanking the crowd of around a thousand people who had given her enthusiastic support. "That is why I was coming here - to try to be the first woman to run under four minutes. It's only a matter of time but I think it will come our way. If it's not me, it will be someone else. "So, yeah, I know one day, one time, a woman will run under four. I will not lose hope. I will still go for it and if there's not something like this, a special one, I think in a normal Diamond League, or anything, I will still go for it and I hope I will get it one day." Britain's Roger Bannister was the first man to go under four minutes in May 1954, with compatriot Diane Leather the first woman to break five minutes later the same month. The current men's record is the 3:43.13 set by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999.
ABC News
9 hours ago
- ABC News
Faith Kipyegon falls short in bid for first sub-four-minute mile
Kenya's Faith Kipyegon has fallen short in her attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes. Kipyegon clocked 4:06.42 in a Nike "Breaking4" project, a time quicker than her 2023 world record (4:07.64). But her effort, run at Stade Charléty in Paris, will not be ratified, given the circumstances in which the record attempt was held. The three-time Olympic gold medallist was assisted by innovative kit, super-spikes and a group of mostly male pacers, who blocked the wind on the track where she set her 1,500m world record last year. Dressed in a black one-pieced suit with arm warmers, the diminutive Kenyan was swamped by her group of pacers, who were all world-class athletes themselves. In a pre-designed plan, a group of five men ran in a line in front of her as "the shield", with American double Olympic bronze medallist Grant Fisher on her shoulder. She was about on course at halfway but began to slip behind the coloured pacing lights inside the track and drifted on the final lap as she tied up over the last 200m. Those male pacers meant — just as with compatriot Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two-hour marathon run with "in and out" pacers in 2019 — the new mark will not be recognised as a world record. Kipyegon, however, was her usual upbeat self at the finish. "I'm tired but I feel good and I tried," said Kipyegon, as she thanked the crowd of around 1,000 spectators who had given her enthusiastic support. "That is why I was coming here — to try to be the first woman to run under four minutes. "It's only a matter of time but I think it will come our way. If it's not me, it will be someone else. "I know one day, one time, a woman will run under four. I will not lose hope. "I will still go for it and if there's not something like this, a special one, I think in a normal Diamond League (meet), or anything, I will still go for it and I hope I will get it one day." Great Britain's Roger Bannister was the first man to run the mile under four minutes in1954. Compatriot Diane Leather was the first woman to break five minutes in the same year. The current men's world record is 3:43.13, set by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999. Reuters
Perth Now
12 hours ago
- Perth Now
Kipyegon falls short in women's sub-4 minute mile bid
Kenya's Faith Kipyegon has fallen fell short in her attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes when she clocked 4:06.42 in a Nike "Breaking4" project that, though faster than her own world record, will not be ratified. The 31-year-old triple world and Olympic 1500 metres champion had needed to take more than seven seconds off her own 2023 world record of 4:07.64 but, despite a series of aids, managed to lower it by just over one second. She was helped by innovative new kit, super-spikes and, crucially, a phalanx of mostly male pacers who blocked the wind on the four-and-a-bit laps of the Stade Charlety track in Paris where she set her 1500m world record last year. Dressed in a black one-pieced suit with black arm warmers, the diminutive Kenyan was swamped by her group of pacers, mostly men and all world-class athletes themselves. In a pre-designed plan, a group of five men ran in a line in front of her as "the shield" with American double Olympic bronze medallist Grant Fisher on her shoulder. She was about on course at halfway but began to slip behind the coloured pacing lights inside the track and drifted on the final lap as she tied up over the last 200 metres. Those male pacers meant, just as with compatriot Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two-hour marathon run with "in and out" pacers in 2019, that the new mark will not be recognised as a world record. Kipyegon, however, was her usual upbeat self at the finish. "I'm tired but I feel good and I tried," she said, thanking the crowd of around a thousand people who had given her enthusiastic support. "That is why I was coming here - to try to be the first woman to run under four minutes. It's only a matter of time but I think it will come our way. If it's not me, it will be someone else. "So, yeah, I know one day, one time, a woman will run under four. I will not lose hope. I will still go for it and if there's not something like this, a special one, I think in a normal Diamond League, or anything, I will still go for it and I hope I will get it one day." Britain's Roger Bannister was the first man to go under four minutes in May 1954, with compatriot Diane Leather the first woman to break five minutes later the same month. The current men's record is the 3:43.13 set by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999.
