Kipyegon targets four-minute mile in Nike "Breaking 4" project

LONDON :Kenya's triple Olympic and world 1,500 metres champion Faith Kipyegon is to attempt the first women's, unofficial sub-four minute mile in a Nike "Breaking 4" project following the success of Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two hour marathon.

Nike said on Wednesday that Kipyegon, 31, is to attempt the feat on June 26 at Stade Charlety, Paris, where she beat her own 1,500 metres world record last year.

Full details are yet to be revealed but, as with her compatriot's 1:59:40.2 marathon in Vienna in 2019, she is likely to be aided by "in and out" pacers, new high-tech shoes and kit and other technological, physiological and psychological help that will mean any record would not be officially recognised.

Kipyegon set the current official mile world record of 4:07.64 for the now-rarely run distance in 2023, taking almost five seconds off Sifan Hassan's 2019 mark, so would need a huge leap forward to achieve the landmark time.

"I’m a three-time Olympic champion. I’ve achieved World Championship titles. I thought, What else, why not dream outside the box?" Kipyegon said. "I want this attempt to say to women, 'You can dream and make your dreams valid'."

Kipyegon won the Olympic 1,500m title at the 2016, 2020 and 2024 Games and the world title in 2017, 2022 and 2023, when she also took 5,000m gold.

As well as the mile record, she also holds the 1,500m world record of 3:49.04 and barely seemed to take a breath after taking time away from the track to have a baby.

"Becoming a mother has changed my entire mental attitude," she said. "You have to engage yourself, you have to show your child the way."

Nike will be applying the lessons learned from Kipchoge's attempts, where he narrowly failed and then subsequently succeeded in getting under two