World and Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon made history yet again on Thursday (26), covering one mile in 4:06.42.
In a carefully orchestrated exhibition event – one that is not record eligible – and returning to the same Stade Charlety track where she set world records over 1500m and 5000m, the Kenyan made use of a team of pacemakers and custom gear to run the fastest mile in history by a woman.
The multiple world record-holder had been aiming to break the four-minute barrier, or at least run faster than her official mile world record of 4:07.64, set two years ago in Monaco. While she fell short of the first goal, she achieved the latter.
She was close to the target pace for the first half, reaching 400m in 1:00.20 and 800m in 2:00.75, at which point, pacemakers Jemma Reekie and Georgia Hunter Bell – the only women in the pace-making crew – dropped out of the pack.
The rest of the pacing group continued to run in specific diagonal line formations, but Kipyegon’s fatigue started to show on the third lap. She hit the bell in 3:01.84 and dug deep and covered the final lap in 64.58 seconds to cross the line in 4:06.42.
“I tried,” said the 31-year-old. “I tried to be the first woman to run under four minutes. It’s only a matter of time before it happens – if not me, then maybe someone else. I will not lose hope; I will still go for it.”
