“Why not dream outside of the box?”
That is what world champion athlete Faith Kipyegon thought of as she made the bold choice to attempt to break the four-minute mile. The Kenyan distance runner has already won gold in three different Olympics, including for the 1500m in Paris last year. And she set the women’s world record for the mile, running it in 4:07 in 2023. That said, what’s a few seconds to a woman known for breaking records and taking home the brightest medals, especially when you have Nike helping to make it happen?
“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 in a press release announcing Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile, a partnership with Nike. “I told myself, ‘If you believe in yourself, and your team believes in you, you can do it.’”
While athlete Roger Bannister was the first to run the mile in under four minutes in 1954, since then, others have done it, but no woman has. Nike is backing Kipyegon’s attempt, which the brand calls a “Moonshot,” or an ambitious goal. Kipyegon will make one attempt on June 26 at the Stade Charléty in Paris, a date chosen to work with her training schedule and allow her to have the best performance possible. The brand believes the impact it could have on the next generation of athletes, as well as today’s everyday athletes, is immense. She’s ready, and so is Nike.
“I think she’s an elite athlete with audacious goals, and we feel confident with what she’s doing to prepare for that moment. We’re excited to see what that outcome is with her. But it’s beyond just breaking that barrier. It really is inspiring the next generation. And she especially wants to inspire girls and women. And so that’s what we like because that aligns to our campaign,” Seema Simmons, VP/GM of Nike Global Women’s Running, tells ESSENCE, about Kipyegon’s effort and how it coincides with Nike’s recent “So win” messaging starring a slew of famous women athletes. “We see elite athletes with their dreams, but we see everyday athletes and everyday runners with their dreams in chasing those goals. For our After Dark tour, which is one that we’ve recently launched, we hear all women runners talking about their specific goals. It’s about helping connect with women and show the beauty, and I think the courage to reach and strive for your dreams.”
In addition to the everyday runner, should she break the four-minute mile as planned, it can also have a great impact on a specific group of women Kipyegon can relate to: mothers. She welcomed her daughter, Alyn, in 2018 by Cesarean, and after an 18-month break, returned to dominance on the track.
“I think sometimes when you’re a mother you forget about your own dreams. Faith’s dream is front and center, as well as the dream of other women and girls. And it feels so pivotal,” shares Amy Jones Vaterlaus, VP of Nike Sport Research Lab. “It is truly the center of what she’s doing. And I hope that a lot of moms can see themselves and relate. We’re not running as fast as Faith is going, but we have our dreams. And for Faith to be able to put that out to show her daughter that she too can do that, I know that means a lot to me. And I look at even myself, how I show up with my family and kids, and that’s something I will take away from this project and working with Faith.”
Nike believes that if anyone can break this record, it’s Kipyegon, who they describe as loving and bubbly but also an unstoppable force.
“I feel pretty fortunate to have worked with Faith over the last few years and she’s been a part of the brand for almost 15, and her growth through that time has been incredible,” Tanya Hvizdak, VP of Nike Sports Marketing tells us. “What I’ll say, though, is that the main constant is the amazing person that she is, the fierce competitor. And I would say the partnership that she has formed with us over the years, and just that trust that’s been built, has really made a moment like this possible.”
Kipyegon’s training, which isn’t a far cry from what she already does to reach high speeds as well as cover long distances, is underway. Nike’s holistic system of support has begun. And the athlete is excited for the outcome — specifically, the message it will send to female athletes and dreamers of all kinds.
“I want this attempt to say to women, ‘You can dream and make your dreams valid,’” Kipyegon says. “This is the way to go as women, to push boundaries and dream big.”
