- Faith Kipyegon has had to overcome many barriers in her career in order to be where she is today.
- Kipyegon represented Kenya for the first time in a competitive international event at the 2010 World Cross Country Championships that was held in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
- Kipyegon is aiming to become the first woman to run a mile in less than four minutes at the “Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile” event that will be staged at Stade Charléty on Thursday, June 26, 2025.
With the historic “Breaking4” event around the corner, all eyes are on Kenyan track queen Faith Kipyegon, a runner who continues to break barriers.
Kipyegon will attempt to become the first woman ever to run a mile in under four minutes in the race that will take place on Thursday, June 26, 2025 at the Stade Charléty in Paris.
The highly anticipated event will not be just about faster times; it’s about the sacrifices, dedication, hard work, discipline, and the perseverance that has shaped Kipyegon into a legend of the track.
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SportPesa Blog traces Kipyegon’s inspiring journey from running barefoot to running immortality.
Faith Kipyegon’s humble beginnings
Like most Kenyan children, Kipyegon was brought up and attended school in the village. The 31-year-old grew up in Ndabibit Village, a little-known locality that is domiciled in Keringet, Nakuru County.
She was interested in football at first, before one of her teachers discovered her hidden running ability during a Physical Education (P.E) lesson.
Faith Kipyegon’s first international race for Kenya
Kipyegon represented Kenya for the first time during the 2010 World Cross Country Championships that was held in Bydgoszcz, Poland.
Despite running barefoot and competing against older athletes, Kipyegon, who was 16-years-old then, finished fourth and helped Kenya to shine in the championships.
A few months later, the talented runner won her first ever gold medal for Kenya at the 2011 World Cross Country Championships that took place in Punta, Umbria. She did so in style, running barefoot to win the competitive junior race.
After the well-deserved success in Punta Umbria, Kipyegon went on to win 1500m gold medals for her beloved country at the 2011 and 2012 World Athletics Youth Championships.
Faith Kipyegon’s track dominance
Kipyegon gained more experience on track and it did not take long before she started to dominate the 1500m race.
She became the first Kenyan woman to win a 1500m Olympic Games gold medal at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro edition before going on to retain it in the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 editions.
The triumph in Paris made her become the first athlete to win three 1500m Olympic Games gold medals in a row, a milestone that cemented her legacy as one of the greatest ever track and field athletes.
Kipyegon, who attended Winners Girls High School, also managed to win a number of senior World Athletics Championships gold medals for Kenya. Her best performance in the event came at the 2023 Budapest edition where she won both the 5000m and 1500m titles.
Besides dominating the Olympic Games and World Athletics Championships races, the mother of one was also unmatchable in the Wanda Diamond League meetings and other high-profile races such as the Athlos event.
Faith Kipyegon’s record-breaking prowess
At her prime, Kipyegon was unbeatable in most of the races that she took part in, breaking several world records in the process.
Some of the world records that the woman who goes by the nickname the “Smiling Destroyer” has smashed in the past few years include the 5000m, mile, and 1500m marks. Her 5000m world record of 14:05.20 was lowered by Ethiopia’s Gudaf Tsegay in 2023.
Kipyegon holds a number of world records at the moment including the 1500m mark of 3:49.04 that she set at the 2024 Paris Diamond League.
Faith Kipyegon and motherhood
The 31-year-old took time off in 2018 to give birth to her daughter Alyn.
However, the most interesting thing about Kipyegon’s athletic journey, is that she returned strongly after the maternity leave and continued to dominate, something that continues to inspire many women across the world.
Faith Kipyegon and the Nike Breaking4 mile attempt
Kipyegon will be seeking to enter record books this Thursday when she takes part in the “Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile” event in Paris.
The athlete, who holds the mile record of 4:07.64 at the moment, will have to lower the mark by 7.65 seconds in order to complete the mission.
Should Kipyegon achieve her goal at the Breaking4, she will cement her legacy as one of the best ever runners in history of the sport.
ALSO READ: Faith Kipyegon: How One Olympic Games Gold Changed Her Entire Village