Running champion Faith Kipyegon on dreaming big and backing yourself

She's got a winner's mindset

When Faith Kipyegon attempted to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes, the world sat up and took notice. Body+Soul was on the ground in Paris to witness history in the making, and spoke to this sporting trailblazer about destiny, dreaming big, and the unstoppable rise of female athletes.

There are middle-distance athletes, and then there’s Faith Kipyegon. One of the most decorated sportswomen Kenya has ever produced, the four-time Olympian collects world records like other people eat hot breakfasts. 

Having famously grown up running races barefoot in her home country, the 31-year-old is the current world record holder in both the 1500 metres and the mile, has competed at four Olympics – London, Rio, Tokyo and Paris – and has three gold medals stacked into an ever-growing trophy cabinet. 

But when she stepped out onto the blue athletics track of Stade Charléty in Paris on June 26, it was an attempt to do something truly audacious – to become the first woman in history to ever run a mile in under four minutes. 

Since British athlete Roger Bannister became the first person to break this barrier in 1954, more than 2,000 men have gone on to do so. But, until now, no woman had dared try to challenge this iconic sporting signifier – something many say is physically impossible.

Sporting giant Nike put everything into backing Kipyegon’s epic moonshot, producing a two-part documentary series following her journey to the Breaking4 start line. Months was devoted to its execution, and Paris was precisely chosen as the location to ensure perfect temperature, humidity, wind speed and conditions.

But it was Kipyegon’s custom-designed race kit – made specifically for this event – that created serious buzz in running circles. A dedicated team of Nike experts, researchers and innovators deployed the full power of sports science to develop high-tech gear built to support maximum speed and performance.

The kit included a first-of-its-kind Nike Fly Suit covered in 3D-printed “aeronodes”, custom spikes with a carbon plate and titanium pins weighing just 85 grams, plus a body-mapped, moisture-wicking (and heat-controlling) Fly Web bra so light it’s almost undetectable.

Faith Kipyegon running at Breaking4 in Paris. Image: Nike

Then – once the training and meticulous planning was done –  this mother-of-one emerged from the stadium tunnel carrying a Kenyan flag on a warm Paris night, surrounded by a fleet of 13 hand-picked pacers, including Aussie running legend Stewart McSweyn. The deafening roar from an ecstatic 2000-strong crowd signalled what it meant.

As the gun went off and she followed yellow pacing lights around the track with the kind of focus and intensity that’s rare to see – and millions more watched around the globe and willed her on via livestream – it was clear this was a moment that mattered, on and off the track.

Lathered in sweat and crossing the finish line in a time of 4:06:46 – Kipyegon smashed her own world record by more than a second – and helped reshape running history. While she may not have broken four (this time), the attempt did something arguably even more important: demonstrating that being bold and backing yourself is the only way to live.

You are the world-record holder for the women’s 1500 metres and the mile, a four-time world champion and an Olympic Games gold and silver medallist. With so many big moments in your career, how do you prepare for them, and where do you draw your deepest sense of belief from?

I would say being mentally strong and believing in everything I do. Believing in the training, believing in everything I’ve been – from when I was running barefoot [in Kenya], to where I am now. It’s really given me that drive. There are challenges in everything a person does. I wake up before everybody else, get up around 5.40am, then go for my run about 6am, and that can be challenging. But it’s about dreaming you want to achieve more in your career. What motivates me is knowing we can’t limit ourselves – especially as women. That’s really helped me to work hard in every training session that I do.

Last month you beat your current world record and were just six seconds shy of becoming the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes – an attempt that took an enormous amount of tenacity and grit. Is that something you’ve learnt from anyone in particular, or has that always been within you?

I was so surprised to see an almost full stadium cheering me on [during the attempt], I really didn’t expect that many people to be there. The crowd really pushed me to run fast. I feel so proud of myself that I tried. I take this [mindset] from my mentor, Eliud [Kipchoge]. He ran 2.00 in Breaking2 [his attempt to become the first man to run a marathon in under two hours.] Then, on the second attempt in Vienna, he made it to run 1.59. You learn from the mistakes or you learn from the process. And I think for me, Breaking4 was that. It allowed me to see that everything is possible. 

With your accolades to date, your history-making attempt in Paris and a six-year-old daughter, Alyn, how do you hope to inspire the next generation?

This attempt was all about sending a message to women, to the older ones, and to the next generation of young adults that we have to dream big. I didn't want to hold back and regret later that I could have done this better, or I could've done that better. I just wanted to run my race, execute as fast as possible, and see what the finish line could offer. I was just happy that the team believed in me, that I was capable of running below four minutes in the mile. This race was about showing the world that we have to push…you have to wake up in the morning and just go for that thing you want because it will never just come to you. I know that one day, one time, [the world record for running a sub-4 minute mile] will be in another woman's hand. 

So many people don’t discover running until they’re adults, but as a child growing up in rural Kenya, you covered 10 miles a day running to and from school. In order to find new athletes, how do we spot and develop new talent?

Well, I'm so happy that in my country there are so many youth camps in schools where they develop young talent. Baranaba Korir [head of youth development for Athletics Kenya] is empowering the next generation, and it really gives me hope seeing young girls and boys training, running in school competitions, youth and championships meets. I see the next generation of athletics and believe it will bring another Faith, another Eliud Kipchoge. I think we are in safe hands at the moment. 

There, we are running for a gold medal, to be the first to cross the finish line, but this is life. Image: Getty

Paris was specifically chosen for Breaking4. What does it mean to you, and what was the most important piece of training that gave you the confidence to take on such an audacious goal?

Paris is like my second home, and will always remain in my heart. This is where I broke the 5,000 metre world record after breaking another world record in Florence. For this attempt, it was the track and speed sessions that made the biggest difference. If I can do 62 times eight with a very small recovery, I got so confident and only need a little bit of endurance to be where I am.

You’ve competed at four Olympics – London, Rio, Tokyo and Paris – and countless World Athletics meets. Is there a difference between races like Breaking4 where you're essentially competing against yourself, and races when you're competing against your peers?

Well, yes, that's a test of patience. This was totally different compared to when I'm racing in the Olympics or World Championships. There, we are running for a gold medal, to be the first to cross the finish line, but this is life. 

Rapid-fire round

Favourite pre-race pump-up song: “Try Everything” by Shakira

Dream post-run meal: A burger and fries

If you weren’t a runner, you’d be: Maybe a teacher

Most memorable sporting moment: Winning my first Olympic gold in Rio

Go-to running shoe: The new Nike Vomero Premium

Biggest mentor: My teammate and training partner, Eliud Kipchoge

Originally published as Running champion Faith Kipyegon on dreaming big and backing yourself