PuraVida Sports

By Elias Makori

On June 26 in Paris, Faith Kipyegon looked back at her unsuccessful attempt at breaking the four-minute barrier in the mile positively, preferring to take away the quick wins from the run at the Sebastian Charlety Stadium.

And her positivity held her in good stead on Saturday night as three-time Olympic champion regrouped to clock a new world record three minutes, 48.68 seconds in the 1,500 metres, breaking the world record for a third consecutive year.

She attributed her latest record at Hayward Field during Saturday’s Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting to the work ethic put in for the “Breaking4” attempt in Paris. 

Kipyegon had previously set the world mark at 3:49.11 in 2023 in Florence, Italy, and 3:49.04 last year at the Charlety in Paris.

She is also the world record holder in the mile (4:07.64) and on June 26, clocked 4:06.91 in the non-record-eligible “Breaking4” event specially choreographed by Nike.

“I said that it’s still possible to run under 3:49, and I’m just so grateful. I thank God, I thank my management, I thank my coach and all of the support system who have been supporting me through this journey, so it feels amazing.”

She credited her ‘Breaking4’ training for the success on Saturday: “I think the changes were that I was preparing myself for something special, which was to run under four minutes in a mile and I think I pushed myself, getting better and better toward the 1,500, so I knew it was possible to still run under 3:49. 

“I’m grateful to God that I made it today because I talked about it last week, and here I am breaking the world record.”

A total of 12,606 ticketed spectators turned up at Hayward Field for the 50th edition of the Prefontaine Classic and were treated to two world records as earlier on Saturday, Kipyegon’s compatriot Beatrice Chebet became the first woman to dip under 14 minutes in the 5,000m, clocking 13:58.06.

“This is a sellout. This ticketed spectator number does not include credentialed personnel,” said Jeff Oliver, the Prefontaine Classic’s Senior Manager of Partnerships and Media Operations.

Chebet was at the finish line to congratulate Kipyegon with a tight hug as the two golden Kenyan girls stole the show at Hayward field with Kenya-born Bahraini Winfred Yavi almost shattering the steeplechase world record, clocking 8:45.25 which is the third-fastest time in history.

Running just 80 minutes after Chebet’s record-breaking run, Kipyegon re-entered the record books by breaking her own world 1,500m record with the 3:48.68.

The multiple world and Olympic champion had made history of sorts last week by producing the fastest mile performance in history, albeit at the ‘Breaking4’ run in Paris, an unofficial and unratifiable exhibition event.

On Saturday, however, there was no doubt over the authenticity of Kipyegon’s performance as she took 0.36 off the record she set in Paris last year.

Kipyegon tracked the pacemaker closely through 400m (1:01.61) and 800m (2:03.17), but she had Olympic silver medallist Jessica Hull for company.

The Australian was still just a stride or two behind Kipyegon going into the final lap, but the multiple world record-holder kicked hard on the back straight to break free and outpace the wavelights.

There was no catching Kipyegon as she charged down the home straight, crossing the line in 3:48.68 to win by almost three seconds. Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji came through for second (3:51.44) ahead of Hull (3:52.67) and Olympic bronze medallist Georgia Hunter Bell (3:54.76).

“This is the time I was expecting when I was in Paris,” Kipyegon reacted.

“For me, I try to be consistent. I try to follow what my coach is telling me to do, to be better and better every year, so I’m grateful that I’ve started to break the four minutes like in Paris last week and coming here and running the 1,500. 

“This is the road to Tokyo and I would say I am in the right direction.”

Kipyegon was happy with the way the stellar field pushed her.

“To be honest, the ladies were pushing me too because they are running quick now and I’m happy that when I broke a world record, they were all running very fast, and that is what I wanted, to motivate the younger generation to come and do even better. 

“For them to follow me, it feels so great as they are pushing me as well to break records. These ladies are amazing, I love them. I love competing with them and I normally tell them, let’s push each other and we can still break barriers.”

USA’s Nikki Hiltz, fourth in a season’s best 3:55.96, expressed her respect for Kipyegon.

“When Faith runs fast, we all run fast and I finished seven seconds behind her… I had about 50 metres to go, and I hear the loudest roar I’ve ever heard. I think it honestly gave me a little extra gear to kick harder. She’s an icon and we all really respect her. 

“I think I’m in a really good spot for (USA’s). The trial was like exactly a year ago and I ran a 3:55 there, so I’m in a good spot, I can’t complain. I could be a little bit more engaged. I had just assumed we were on the line and then I looked up and there was a gap.

“So, maybe I fell asleep out there, and you know, to just be a little bit more awake and alert, but I’m very happy with where my fitness is at and excited to be back here in a month.”

Hull was equally elated: “To get my position right off the line was super nice, then just tried to relax until the 1k mark. As soon as we lost Sage, I felt Faith put her foot down, she was aware that I was gonna be there this time, so she put her foot down and made it really hard for that last 500 meters.

“That’s the first fast 1,500 I’ve been in all year. It was definitely tough in the last 400, but that’s a piece I’m okay with that part being tough in that part of the season.

“It’s a skill that Faith has, to pop out and run her fastest in her openers. For someone to show up and just keep doing it over and over again, she’s phenomenal. She’s a great athlete, physically on the track, but what she must think and her thought processes and her mind, she’s a champion in every aspect, so it’s just incredible to have someone at my side like that on the start line that I can really look up to every capacity. 

“She’s amazing. It’s incredible to see her starting to get the respect she deserves beyond the track and field fanatics – the world is starting to see what an incredible woman she is.

“It’s really fun to be back on the Diamond League circuit where the races are fast, the races are hard, it’s just, like, let’s see how fast we can go today.” (With additional reporting by World Athletics)