On Thursday at the Stade Charléty in Paris, Faith Kipyegon ran the fastest recorded mile ever for a woman, stopping the clock in 4:06.42. The race was an exhibition set up for Kipyegon to become the first woman to break 4 minutes in the mile.
Although she fell short of her goal and the performance won’t count as an official record since it used male pacers and unapproved spikes, it is incredibly impressive, nonetheless.
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1.22 seconds: The time Kipyegon shaved off her previous personal best of 4:07.64, which is the current world record.
61.3 seconds: Kipyegon’s average split per 400 meters.
14.6 mph: Kipyegon’s average speed during the attempt. (Try that on a treadmill!)
1609: On Thursday at the Stade Charléty in Paris.
3: Number of Olympic gold medals Kipyegon has won in the 1500 meters (2016, 2021, and 2024).
3:42.84: became the first person to break the 4:00 barrier, running 3:59.40 on May 6, 1954 Get the Program.
13: Number of pacers that Kipyegon used during the race.
3 grams: Races - Places Get the Program—the equivalent of just three paper clips.
7: The age of Kipyegon’s daughter, Alyn, whose birthday is this month.
71: Years since Roger Bannister Year-Old Cooper Lutkenhaus Makes World.
4:12.33: became the first person to break the 4:00 barrier, running 3:59.40 on May 6, 1954.
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Theo Kahler is the news editor at Runner’s World. He’s a former all-conference collegiate runner at Winthrop University, and he received his master’s degree in liberal arts studies from Wake Forest University, where he was a member of one of the top distance-running teams in the NCAA. Kahler has reported on the ground at major events such as the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials, New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. He’s run 14:20 in the 5K, 1:05:36 in the half marathon, and enjoys spotting tracks from the sky on airplanes. (Look for colorful ovals around football fields.)
