By Robert Rutto
Under the golden hues of a Tuscan sunset, the air at the Stadio Luigi Ridolfi crackled with quiet but heavy anticipation.
Top echelon milers had gathered here for the third leg of the Diamond League on June 2, 2023. But millions of pairs of eyeballs were on one woman. A modern day gladiator on the track.
What unfolded that cool evening in Florence was not a race. It was a masterpiece.
A piece of history to be safely stashed among the hidden treasures of the ancient city.
A carefully choreographed symphony of pace, power, and poise.
Just weeks shy of her 29th birthday, Faith Kipyegon treaded the start line.
She seemed serene. Unfazed by the monstrosity of the work that lay ahead. And unrattled by the dazzling white sea marooning the track.
She was already a two-time Olympic champion, two-time world champion, and a living legend of middle-distance running.
Her closet was already overflowing with treasured hardware.
But there was just one piece still missing from her glittering résumé: A world record. A piece of treasured software.
For years, the mark of three minutes, 50.07 seconds set by Ethiopia’s Genzebe Dibaba in 2015, had loomed ominously.
Nearly untouchable.
Kipyegon came to within a whisper of that standard in Monaco in 2022, posting a breathtaking 3:50.37, the second-fastest time in history.
That night in Florence however, was different.
The gods of the ancient city turned in their sleep.
Something stirring was in the air.
The gun went off, and the race began at a searing pace, the pacers fueled by Kipyegon’s clear intent: no games, no lounging, just hard and relentless racing.
She stayed tucked in behind the first “rabbit” through the first 800, calm in the storm, her stride smooth and faithful, her face betraying no hint of the searing pain.
With 500 meters to go, the pacemaker stepped off. Faith was alone — but only in the physical sense.
Behind her was the weight of an entire nation’s hopes, generations of Kenyan women inspired by her courage, and the heartbeat of fans who knew they were witnessing something sacred.
She didn’t slow. She surged.
The bell rang for the final lap, and the stadium roared.
Kipyegon’s final 400 meters were a masterclass in controlled fury.
The gap between her and the chasers widened with every stride.
Down the final straight, her arms pumping like pistons, she bore down on the finish line.
The clock suddenly dropped dead on 3:49.11!.
A new world record. A new world order.
Faith Kipyegon collapsed to her knees in disbelief. And relief.
The young woman who might already have had nothing more to prove had finally accomplished everything.
A moment of silence, then a tidal wave of emotion.
She wept, not just for herself, but for the journey — from a barefoot girl in the rugged hills of Bomet County to the greatest 1,500m runner the world has ever seen.
Kipyegon’s face pressed hard on to the tartan track.
Hidden from millions of people watching this spectacle from around the world.
Hidden and protected from the unforgiving world outside.
Her wonderfully toned frame was in full view of the world.
Her hair was woven into a beautiful Kenyan story.
Her tears burnt through the tartan and cascaded to a world below. A forbidden world. A territory reserved only for the greatest in middle distance running.
“I’m so happy,” she said, tearfully, in the post-race interview. “I didn’t expect this. I was just going for a good race — but a world record? I’m so thankful.
“The World Record was in my mind since last year, but I wanted to approach it slowly by slowly to see what was possible this year. I can’t believe it!
“Now I have achieved what I wanted and what was in my heart and in my mind. This season I was focused to bring what was still missing, the World Record. All the athletes waiting for me at the finish line made me emotional. Thanks everybody.”
In Paris last summer, the mother of one completed a hat-trick of back-to-back Olympic 1,500m titles winning gold in Rio (2016), Tokyo (2021) and Paris (2024).
She is also a two-time world champion having regained her crown last year in Eugene, five years after first winning the title in London.
Faith’s record in Florence was not just about milli or micro-seconds.
It was a statement.
A reminder that greatness doesn’t come from chasing down others.
It comes from chasing your own dreams.
And she would dream further a year later in July last year by lowering her 1,500m mark further from 3:49.11 to a jaw-dropping 3:49.04.
The setting for the new world record was Paris’ Stade Charlety… venue for next Thursday’s ‘Breaking4’ Challenge! (Photos: Global sports Communications)
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Pura Vida Sports Africa, in partnership with Safaricom, is already on the ground in Paris, through our Managing Editor Elias Makori, to bring you up to speed with daily accounts on the build-up to Faith Kipyegon’s “Breaking-4” Challenge. Keep it locked at puravidasports.africa
This update is generally attributed to Pura Vida’s Content team. Feel free to shared any feedback or or relevant info incase of inaccuracies.
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