Worldwide reactions to Faith Kipyegon missing mile record by a whisker

There are mixed reactions across the globe to Faith Kipyegon's audacious attempt to run a mile under four minutes on Thursday, 26 June.

Kipyegon, in a bold move and colourful event organized by Nike in the Stade Charlety in Paris, sought to become the first woman in history to run a mile in under four minutes ,but missed by a whisker when she clocked 4:06.42 under perfect conditions.

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Nevertheless, the 31-year-old ran 1.22 seconds faster than the 4:07.64 World Record she set in Monaco, France, in 2023, although her latest record will not be recognized as official.

This is because the three-time Olympic champion in 1500m was assisted by a team of male and female pacemakers and wore technologically advanced kit and shoes sponsored by the organizers- Nike.

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Despite missing on Breaking4, as the race was named, the world gathered to largely celebrate Kipyegon's attempt and pick valuable lessons from the race, not only in a sporting perspective but also in life as sampled by Mozzart Sport.

Thulipule from Lesotho sought to celebrate Faith and use Eliud Kipchoge’s experience to encourage her.

“Eliud did not get under two hours in the marathon on his first attempt. He tried a second time, and it happened..Faith,its possible girl. Watching from Lesotho, Africa is proud of you Mama,” Thulipule commented on Nike’s official YouTube account.

Kinga Growski, on the same platform, hailed Faith for making the first attempt, noting that when the record is finally broken, she will be mentioned, etching her name in the annals of history.

“AMAZING, FAITH. The day that a woman runs a sub-4-minute mile, if it ends up being someone else, there is no chance in hell that Faith will not be mentioned in the celebration speech. We all stand on the shoulders of giants and best believe Faith is a giant who is just paved even more of the path towards this phenomenal feat of strength, endurance, tenacity, speed, and POWER!!! (sic),” She posted.

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Still on Nike's YouTube, Jill Koenig chose to extrapolate the lessons from the race to all spheres of life.

“What an amazing lady. I doubt most of us watching from the couch would have the courage to attempt a feat of this magnitude in the area of our endeavor, live in front of the world to see. I know she (and others in the future) will do it soon enough. Thank you for the inspiration. Demonstrating greatness, whether you hit the exact target or not. That is a Champion. Live Your Dreams (sic).”

As for King Gremlin, he noted difficulties in a woman running under four minutes, taking lessons from the men's category when Tanzanian Filbert Bayi’s World Record of 4:07.06 was broken several times and took over a decade to go under four minutes.

“When the men's record stood at 4:07.6, it took 11 years and 9 more world records to break 4 minutes. It will probably take longer for the women, because the men were using terrible equipment running on cinder tracks without optimized training and nutrition, and everything else that today's athletes have. There were just more areas that could be improved on back then that do not exist today.”

Back home, President William Ruto led the country in sending congratulatory messages to Faith on her attempt, noting that she inspires generations beyond athletics.

“With every stride, you carried the hopes of our nation and proved that Kenyan greatness knows no limits. Your triumph is not just athletic, it is historic, and it inspires us all to run beyond our own boundaries,” posted Ruto on his X account.

Crowning the reactions was Nike, the official organizers and main sponsors of the event who chose to laud Kipyegon's courage to make the attempt noting that the record would be broken sooner rather than later.

“Faith Kipyegon had the audacity to dream of doing the impossible. The fastest woman to ever run the mile just ran it faster at #Breaking4, pushing the world closer to the 4-minute barrier. It’s not a matter of if a woman will break 4, it’s when,” reads a post by Nike on X.

After the race, Kipyegon noted that it is a matter of time before a woman runs under four minutes, hinting at making another stab to the historic feat.