Faith Kipyegon: Meet Pacemakers, Scientists, and Team Supporting Athlete's Mile Record Attempt

• Faith Kipyegon will step onto the Stade Charléty in Paris, attempting to become the first woman to run the mile under four minutes
• The triple Olympic champion has been preparing for this event, dubbed Breaking4, aided by scientists, designers and pacer
• Olympic medallists and world record holders are among the pacemakers who will push her on Thursday night

Faith Kipyegon will be supported by a huge team in her quest to become the first woman to run the mile under four minutes on Thursday, June 26, in Paris.

What does Faith Kipyegon need to break mile record?

Kipyegon needs to shave off 7.65 seconds from her mile world record to break the four-minute barrier in the women's mile.

The barrier was first broken by Roger Bannister in 1954, and 2,100 men have run under four minutes since. However, no woman has broken the barrier.

The Kenyan star is aiming to become the first woman to break it and has been preparing for it this year. She made her season debut in April in China and has not raced since.

At the Stade Charléty in Paris, Kipyegon will have to go faster to smash the barriers. It will be a huge task for the Kenyan, but she won't be alone.

Some of the factors Nike considered for this project were the weather, time of year, stadium conditions, and a perfect strategy from the pacers.

Who are the pacemakers helping Faith Kipyegon?

Eliud Kipchoge's iconic Ineos 1:59 marathon attempt featured scientists, pacemakers, and cutting-edge technology. Kipyegon’s attempt will follow the same model.

Kipchoge is in Paris to support his compatriot, along with his coach, Patrick Sang, who also coaches Kipyegon.

Some of the elite pacemakers include Grant Fisher, an Olympic bronze medallist in the men's 5000m, Jemma Reekie, a world indoor medallist, and Great Britain's Elliot Giles, the world road mile record holder.

Other pacers include Niels Laros, Georgia Bell, an Olympic bronze medallist, Stewart McSweyn, Cathal Doyle, Craig Engels, and Steffan Nillessen.

Who is behind Faith Kipyegon's Breaking4?

Other members of the team include scientists, innovators and designers from Nike who made Breaking4 possible. They include Carrie Dimoff, footwear lead, and Brett Kirby, Principal, Scientist-Applied Performance Innovation.

“If she crosses the line in under 4 minutes, it won’t just be a new world record. It’ll be a new understanding of what’s possible for women in sport," Dimoff said.

Janett Nichol, the Nike Flyweb lead, was responsible for creating the apparel Kipyegon will wear.

“This isn’t just a project. It’s a legacy. It’s part of a larger movement to close gaps in women’s performance knowledge and change what’s possible in sport," Vaterlaus said.

Amy Jones Vaterlaus, the Vice President of Women’s Research, Nike Sport Research Lab, Simon Bairu, Kipyegon's marketing partner, Lisa Gibson, and the apparel lead are other members of the team.

Athlos promises to reward Faith Kipyegon

Earlier, TUKO.co.ke reported that Athlos founder and Serena Williams' husband promised to reward Kipyegon if she breaks the barrier.

The founder of Reddit, who is behind the women-only Athlos competition, has committed to awarding Kipyegon $100,000 (about KSh 13 million) if she breaks the record.

Kipyegon won $60,000 (approximately KSh 7.7 million) at the inaugural event last year in the USA and will likely compete in the competition later this year.

Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke