PuraVida Sports

By Elias Makori at the Stade Charlety, Paris

With just three days ahead of Faith Kipyegon’s “Breaking4” challenge, global track and field stars alongside Kenya’s Ambassador to France have rallied behind Kenya’s multiple Olympic gold medalist, joining leading mobile telephone services provider Safaricom in screaming: Go Faith!

“Breaking4 – Faith Kipyegon vs the four-minute mile”, is a partnership between Nike and Kipyegon who will attempt to become the first woman to run the mile in under four minutes, a historic benchmark that was once considered an insurmountable limitation.

Kipyegon will make one attempt at the milestone this Thursday, June 26, at the Stade Charléty in Paris, a time and location specifically selected to align with her training schedule and maximize her performance.

She will attempt to shave at least 7.65 seconds off her mile world record time of 4:07.64, set in 2023, to become the first woman to break the threshold Roger Bannister first surpassed roughly 70 years ago.

Fans have been registering online to troop into the Charléty with supporters from around the world also set to watch Kipyegon’s moonshot by tuning in to a livestream broadcast available on Nike’s YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Douyin accounts, as well as Prime Video.

Kenyans will be rooting for Kipyegon under the Safaricom-powered #Kenya4Faith rallying call during the challenge.

To make the live stream experience affordable, Safaricom are offering a 4GB bundle at 4 shillings to keep Kenyans glued on the triple Olympic champion’s race against the clock, and to glory.

Kenya’s Ambassador to France, Betty Cherwon, has sent a message of goodwill to Kipyegon as the three-time Olympic 1,500 metres champion seeks to make history.

“On behalf of the staff of Kenya Embassy Paris and the entire Kenyan diaspora in France, this is to wish you, Faith Kipyegon, all the very best as you take on the challenge of breaking 4. You are a trail blazer and a brave performer. 

“We are proud of you and you have already won by just attempting,” Ambassador Cherwon whose jurisdiction also includes the Holy See and Portugal, said. 

“We will be cheering you on at the stadium. Thank you for flying our country’s flag high. You have done it for all of us. We are so proud of you!,” she added.

World and Olympic champions on show during last weekend’s Paris Diamond League meeting at the Charléty, the venue for Kipyegon’s race against the clock, also joined in wishing the Kenyan superstar success.

“I just want to wish you all the best in Paris next week for the mile attempt. I hope you break it,” Great Britain’s freshly-minted World Indoor Championships 400 metres gold medallist Amber Anning said.

Kipyegon’s American teammate at Nike, Rai Benjamin, the Olympic 400m hurdles champion was equally supportive. “I see all the hard work that you are doing and the effort you are making into the upcoming race this coming weekend, so I’m just wishing you good luck… Go for it out there!” Benjamin, also an Olympic gold medalist in the 4x400m relay in Paris last year, said.

Also joining in wishing Kipyegon well is India’s athletics poster boy and decorated Olympic javelin champion Neeraj Chopra, winner of Friday’s Paris Diamond League meeting at the Stade Charléty and a distinguished member of the “90-metre club.”

“I want to say ‘all the best to Faith’. She’s great and she’s doing really good for Kenya and everybody likes her – so all the best for your next goals,” Chopra, 27, a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army, attached to the Territorial Army, said.

Ukraine’s 23-year-old high jumper Yaroslava Mahuchikh burst into global prominence by winning the high jump gold at the 2017 World Athletics Under-18 Championships at the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani.

She steadily graduated to become World Indoor Champion in Belgrade in 2022, World Champion outdoors in Budapest a year later in 2023 before clinching the Olympic title in Paris last year, clearing two metres for the top podium place.

She joined in the support for Kipyegon: “Hi my lovely! I want to support you and wish you all the best and fast legs… you will definitely run fast and so I cross my fingers for you!”

Although “Breaking4” challenge organisers Nike have kept the race details a closely-guarded secret, the grapevine has it that Great Britain’s Olympic 1,500m silver medalist Georgia Hunter Bell will be among Kipyegon’s pacemakers on Thursday.

The Briton, also a World Indoors bronze medalist, almost let the cat out of the bag in her message to Kipyegon: “Hi Faith, I can’t wait to see you in Paris this week. I’m so excited for your run… You’ve got us behind you, I’ll be there in the team, supporting you and running with you whenever you need. I know you can do it, so. All the best from Georgia!”

USA’s multiple World and Olympic 110m hurdles champion Grant Holloway also sent his shout out to Kipyegon: “All the best in your run. I know you’re gonna do great as you always do!”

Kenyan stars, including 2015 world javelin champion Julius Yego, who is also the 2016 Olympic silver medalist, joined in the goodwill messages.

“I want to wish Faith all the very best in what she’s going to try next week – to become the first woman to run the mile in under four minutes. I wish you all the best Faith,” Yego said.

At last Friday’s Paris Diamond League meeting at the Stade Charléty, one of the standout performances was the world under-20 record in the 1,500m clocked by Kenya’s rising star Phanuel Koech.

His second place finish in 3:27.72 hurled him into the top 10 all time, the time also the fastest by a Kenyan in 10 years since Asbel Kiprop’s 3:26.69 at Monaco’s Stade Louis II in 2015.

“I thank God that I have run a world record in the under-20 category, and I’d like to wish Faith all the best as she comes to this stadium for the ‘Breaking4’ run. Only God knows what can happen,” Koech said.

Also shining at the Stade Charléty on Friday night was Faith Cherotich who ran an incredible World Lead and personal best time of 8:53.37 in the 3,000m steeplechase, hinting at the lucky charm the Stade Charléty holds.

“I’m happy that I’ve run my personal best time here in Paris and I’d like to wish my mentor Faith Kipyegon all the best as she prepares to come and run here. Good luck!,” said Cherotich, Kenya’s rising star in the barriers and water jump event.

ENDS