On the 21st July, 2023, Faith Kipyegon (nickname 'The Smiling Destroyer') set the current women's world mile record in Monaco. The triple Olympic 1500m champion and world 1500m record holder ran 4:07.64 for the four and a bit laps that are necessary for the only imperial distance remaining on World Athletics' official world records list.

Now the 31-year-old Kenyan is audaciously planning to achieve the 'impossible' by running a sub-four-minute mile in Stade Charléty, Paris, France on Thursday, 26th June, 2025. To ensure optimal weather conditions, a three-day window from 26-28 June has been selected for the attempt. The event will be live-streamed on Nike’s YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and on Prime Video, beginning at 6:15pm BST.  

If successful, this will not be accepted as a world record. The attempt, dubbed the "Breaking Four" project by Kipyegon's Nike sponsors, is an experiment to push back boundaries in the manner of Eliud Kipchoge's ultimately glorious "Breaking Two" destruction of the two-hour marathon barrier.

Kipyegon will be assisted by a rotating team of elite pacemakers and will be wearing the most groundbreaking kit ever seen on a track, right down to her underwear! Naturally, Nike has developed unique racing spikes that weigh in at 85g – that's less than the weight of a pack of 52 playing cards (94g) and about a quarter of the weight of the human heart (310g) that will be working overtime during the attempt.

The non-World Athletics approved shoes will be known as Victory Elite FK to acknowledge Faith Kipyegon's initials, but also to signify 'Fastest Known'. They will have carbon and air soles, titanium spike pins, and a FlyKnit upper that Nike designers claim weighs just 3g, roughly equivalent to three paper clips. They are not exactly designed for durability!

A wind tunnel has been extensively used to develop the most aerodynamic 'Fly Suit' ever produced, with strategically placed 'Aeronodes' to manage air flow around Kipyegon's body. Finally, the first 3D-printed 'FlyWeb Sports Bra' will provide engineered support.

Kipyegon needs to find two seconds a lap to succeed. Her 1500m world record (3:49.04) was set at the Stade Charléty last year. That time, extrapolated to the 109.34m extra distance, equates to a mile in 4:05.74 – less than 1.5 seconds per lap off the pace required for sub-four. 

You need Faith to achieve the 'impossible'. If anyone can, Kipyegon can.                

Photo credit: Erik van Leeuwen via Wikimedia Commons