Faith Kipyegon is not slowing down. On June 26, 2025, at Stade Sébastien Charléty in Paris, the 31-year-old Kenyan runner took on one of the boldest challenges in women’s distance running: breaking the 4-minute mile barrier. She didn’t just show up, she showed out, clocking 4:06.42 and beating her own world record.
The record-breaking run, though just shy of the sub-4 milestone, proved one thing: Kipyegon is in a class of her own. She already held the mile world record at 4:07.64, set in 2023. But that was not enough for her. This wasn’t just about winning or beating the clock. It was about smashing limits.
Faith / IG / What made this attempt different was the scale and support behind it. Kipyegon’s run was backed by Nike, who pulled out every tool in their lab.
They built her a custom speed suit, featherlight spikes called Victory Elite FK, and a team of 13 pacers working in perfect sync to block the wind and keep her on pace.
And yes, it was all captured live. Fans tuned in from around the world via Prime Video and Nike’s YouTube channel to witness history unfold. The race started at 1:15 PM ET, right on time. What followed was a perfectly controlled race, choreographed down to the second.
The replay is available on Nike’s YouTube channel.
Faith Kipyegon ran hard from the first step. To go under four minutes, she needed to shave two seconds off every lap from her previous record pace. She stuck with the pacers, powered through the pain, and crossed the line at 4:06.42. It was her fastest mile ever.
A Historic Event
Was it under four? No. But was it historic? Absolutely. Kipyegon broke her own world record by over a second. That is no small feat. And while the run wasn’t ratified as an official world record, because it used male pacers in a non-competitive setting, no one could deny what she’d achieved.
The entire event felt like something bigger than a race. Nike and Box To Box Films turned it into a full documentary series called “Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile,” now streaming on Prime Video. It gives a raw look at her journey, from grueling training days to the strategy behind the pacing setup.
This whole setup was clearly inspired by Eliud Kipchoge’s famous sub-2-hour marathon attempt. Just like Kipchoge’s project, Kipyegon’s race combined sport and science to push human potential. It was precision engineering blended with elite talent.
Faith / IG / The world record holder for the 1500 metres and mile, and the former world record holder for the 5,000 metres, showed up for every woman who has been told there is a ceiling they can’t break.
Running 4:06.42 is not just a record. It is a statement: the sub-4 barrier is a goal within reach.
Despite the time not being official, the message hit home. After all, records are not just about numbers. They are about daring to reach for more. And no one is reaching harder right now than Kipyegon. Her pace, her control, and her grit showed that she is still getting better.