Breaking4
.jpg?lang=en)
Breaking4 is an upcoming attempt by Faith Kipyegon to become the first woman to break the four-minute barrier for the mile. Hosted by Nike, the event is set to occur on 26 June 2025 at the Stade Charléty in Paris, France.[1]
Background
[edit]In 1954, Roger Bannister became the first man to break four minutes in the mile, running 3:59.4.[2][3] That same year, Diane Leather became the first woman to break five minutes with 4:59.6.[4]
No woman has yet broken four minutes. The current women's world record is 4:07.64, set by Kipyegon on 21 July 2023.[5] An earlier women's world record, 4:12.56 set by Svetlana Masterkova of Russia in 1996, stood for almost 23 years, with Masterkova being the first woman to break 4:15 at the distance.
Kipyegon also holds the world record over 1500 metres, with a time of 3:49.04 set in 2024, at Stade Charléty. The time equates to roughly a 4:06 mile pace.[6] Kipyegon's run has led some to speculate that the first women's sub-four minute mile may come within the 21st century.[7]
In January 2025, at the Nike Headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon, Kipyegon did VO2 max testing along with other baseline tests in preparation for the attempt.[8] In February 2025, a scientific study was published in the Royal Society Open Science, stating that Kipyegon could run a mile in approximately 3:59.37 under very specific conditions, primarily achieved through ideal pacesetters and weather conditions.[9][10]
In April 2025, it was announced that Kipyegon will attempt to become the first woman to run a sub-four-minute mile at a meeting in Paris on 26 June 2025.[11]
Setup
[edit]
The event will be run in a similar manner to Nike's previous Breaking2 project for the marathon and the Ineos 1:59 challenge.[1] It will not be record eligible.[12][13]
Kipyegon will be assisted by 'the next generation of super shoes' and male pacers to help break the barrier.[11] She will wear a custom pair of Victory Elite FK spikes, along with a specially designed speed suit and sports bra.[14]
To break the barrier, she will have to improve on her 4:07.64 personal best by at least 7.65 seconds.[4]
Criticisms & challenges
[edit]On 26 April 2025, Kipyegon ran 2:29.21 for 1000 metres at the Xiamen Diamond League, a time 0.06 seconds off her personal best of 2:29.15 and 0.23 seconds off Svetlana Masterkova's world record of 2:28.98. This time would equates to a 4:00.08 mile pace. Robert Johnson of LetsRun.com considered the attempt to be "ludicrous", since Kipyegon would be required to hold a slightly faster pace for approximately 609 metres longer.[15][16]
A scientific paper published in the Journal of Applied Physiology in April 2025 concluded that “there is no female athlete presently displaying the physiological characteristics required to run a sub-four minute mile”.[8][17]
Streaming
[edit]The event will be streamed live on Prime Video and Nike's YouTube channel, beginning at 7:15 PM local time. The first episode of a docuseries covering the event premiered on 20 June.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b DeGood, Willem (2025-06-21). "Breaking4 is revolutionary for women in sport". The Michigan Daily. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
- ^ "'Breaking 4': How the 1st female runner could soon break the 4-minute-mile barrier | CU Boulder Today | University of Colorado Boulder". www.colorado.edu. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
- ^ "70 years since Bannister's 3:59.4 – "I knew I had done it before I even heard the time"". World Athletics. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ a b "It's a barrier women have never broken. Can Faith Kipyegon make mile history?". NBC News. 2025-06-22. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ "Monaco Diamond League 2023: Live updates as Faith Kipyegon demolishes mile world record as Karsten Warholm scorches to 400m hurdles victory".
- ^ a b "Faith Kipyegon Aims to Become the First Woman to Run a Sub-4-Minute Mile—Here's How to Watch". Runner's World. 2025-06-23. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ "Faith Kipyegon obliterates women's mile world record by almost five seconds". Canadian Running. 21 July 2023.
- ^ a b Tharme, Liam (2025-06-25). "What it would take for Faith Kipyegon to become the first female sub four-minute miler". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-25.
- ^ da Silva, Edson Soares; Hoogkamer, Wouter; Kipp, Shalaya; Kram, Rodger (2025-02-26). "Could a female athlete run a 4-minute mile with improved aerodynamic drafting?". Royal Society Open Science. 12 (2): 241564. doi:10.1098/rsos.241564. PMC 11858751. PMID 40012757.
- ^ "A New Study Suggests Faith Kipyegon Could Run a Sub-4 Minute-Mile—Here's How". Runner's World. 2025-02-28. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ a b Ingle, Sean (23 April 2025). "Faith Kipyegon's audacious bid to be first woman to run sub four-minute mile". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 23 April 2025. Retrieved 23 April 2025.
- ^ "'Strong' Faith Kipyegon reveals: How I plan to run a historic sub-four-minute mile". Olympics.com. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ "Inside Nike's Prototype Gear Built To Break The 4-Minute Mile". marathonhandbook.com. 2025-06-12. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
- ^ "Faith Kipyegon Aims to Become the First Woman to Run a Sub-4-Minute Mile—Here's How to Watch". Runner's World. 2025-06-23. Retrieved 2025-06-24.
- ^ LetsRun.com (2025-04-26). "Sorry track fans, Faith Kipyegon isn't breaking 4:00 in the mile - Can we live in the real world and not la-la land?". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ LetsRun.com (2025-04-26). "Xiamen Diamond League Results - 2025 Xiamen Diamond League". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 2025-04-27.
- ^ Osborne, Rebekah J.; Kirby, Brett S.; Black, Matthew I.; Vanhatalo, Anni; Jones, Andrew M. (2025-01-28). "Seven (.65) Seconds Away: The Possibility and Physiology of a Women's Sub-4 Minute Mile". Journal of Applied Physiology. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00074.2025.