Faith Kipyegon’s bid to crack the four-minute mile barrier came up just short in Paris on June 26, 2025. Lining up at Stade Charléty in front of a supportive crowd and backed by cutting-edge Nike super shoes, an aerodynamic skinsuit and a rotating cast of 13 elite pacemakers, the three-time Olympic and world 1500 m champion flew through the halfway mark on pace for a 3:59 before fading in the final 200 m to finish in 4:06.42—about six seconds shy of history.
Although her “Breaking4” exhibition surpassed her own ratified world record of 4:07.64 by over a second, the unsanctioned format (male pacers and wind-blocking tactics) means it won’t enter the record books. Still, Kipyegon’s performance demonstrated that women’s middle-distance running is knocking on one of sport’s oldest doors—just as Roger Bannister did in 1954 for the men’s mile.
Undeterred, Kipyegon spoke of learning from today’s effort and vowed that the dream lives on. With her relentless work ethic and the support of sports science margin gains, the sub-four barrier for women now feels not like fantasy but the next logical chapter in her storied career.
