Drafting, super spikes: How Faith Kipyegon can become the first woman to run a mile under four minutes

Indian Express

05-05-2025

Seventy-one years ago, on May 6, 1954, when Roger Bannister broke the four-minute barrier to run the mile, he closely followed two pace-setters for more than 80 percent of the race, a technique known as drafting.
In 2023, when Faith Kipyegon broke the world record — completing the mile in 4 minutes, 7.64 seconds — she tailed her pace-setters for just the initial 56 percent of the race and ran the rest solo, with no benefit of drafting.
Four researchers at London's Royal Society analysed this contrast in the race pattern in their study published in February, and theorised that with improved drafting through pace-setters, a woman runner— particularly Kipyegon — can finally run a mile in under four minutes. The quartet, through a series of calculations and by factoring in multiple scenarios, even estimated the time it would take for Kipyegon to run a mile in perfect conditions: 3 minutes, 59.37 seconds.
Weeks later, in April, it was announced that Kipyegon would try to become the first woman runner to break the four-minute barrier. On June 26, the 31-year-old will attempt to do what no woman has ever done at Stade Charléty in Paris in a controlled environment, according to Nike, who sponsor Kipyegon.
Last year, at a Diamond League race at the same stadium, Kipyegon set the 1,500m world record by clocking 3 minutes, 49.04 seconds. To complete a mile, she'll have to run an additional 109 metres, approximately.
According to experts, Kipyegon will have to run two seconds faster per lap to finish in under four minutes. And a range of factors, from wind to shoe technology to pace-setting will play a crucial role in determining if she can be successful.
Why it is crucial for a woman to run a mile under four minutes?
It might be tempting to dismiss the attempt as a marketing gimmick, but the run will hold deeper significance.
It is fitting, in a way, that Kipyegon's record attempt comes before the 2028 Olympics. A century ago, at the 1928 Amsterdam Games, women competed in track-and-field events for the first time. However, the 800m race remains one of the most controversial ones — not because of the result but the exclusion that followed.
By the time the nine women who started the race crossed the finish line, they collapsed to the ground. It prompted the race officials to speculate that they were all exhausted and for the 32 years that followed — from the 1932 Olympics to the 1960 Games — women were not allowed to compete in a race longer than 200m at the Olympics. It was only in 1984 that the women's marathon became a part of the Olympic programme.
The Royal Society research noted that in May 1954, shortly after Bannister became the first human to run a mile in less than four minutes, Diane Leather became the first woman athlete to run the distance under five minutes, completing the race in 4 minutes, 59.6 seconds. The women's record has progressed gradually since then and peaked when Kipyegon clocked 4 minutes, 7.64 seconds. The next best is nearly four seconds slower.
During these years, more than 2,000 men have run a mile in under four minutes, according to The New York Times. In this context, running a sub-4 minute mile is the next frontier for women runners.
Improved pace-setting
Nike, who are assisting Kipyegon to achieve this milestone, haven't revealed much in terms of race conditions. However, the Royal Society study theorised the possible conditions in which this can be done and the key among them was pace-setting.
Drafting is a strategy where a runner closely follows another athlete running in front of her, thus reducing wind resistance and energy expenditure. When Kipyegon set the world record in 2023, she ran her fourth lap alone. It meant whatever help she could get from drafting — thus helping her shave off a few milliseconds — wasn't there.
When she attempts the sub-four mark, the researchers predicted 'one pacer (can run) 1.2m in front of a designated athlete combined with a second pacer 1.2 m behind the designated athlete.' By running in a formation, Kipyegon can potentially run faster without spending more energy, the researchers said.
'With 75.6 percent drafting effectiveness, our calculations predict that Kipyegon could run 3:59.37. Coincidentally, that is essentially the same time that Bannister ran in his first 4-minute mile,' the study noted.
The pace-setters could be substituted to ensure fresh legs, the research suggested. It was a strategy Kipyegon's compatriot, Eliud Kipchoge, used when he broke the two-hour barrier in the marathon six years ago. However, since that isn't permitted under World Athletics rules, the time clocked will not be officially considered, as was the case with Kipchoge's run.
Not just the formation of the pace-setters, the equipment too will be key.
The super spikes, running shoes with foam cushioning and carbon-fibre plates that are springy, will further increase the chances of breaking the record. No-to-little wind will also aid Kipyegon's run.