Olympic middle-distance runner Faith Kipyegon is about to make history, as she plans to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes. On June 26, thanks to Kipyegon’s Breaking4 partnership with Nike, fans can watch her attempt in person at Stade Charléty in Paris or via a livestream broadcast available on various Nike social media accounts and Prime Video. By Kipyegon’s side, rooting for her through her career, is her husband and fellow Olympic runner, Timothy Kitum.
Kipyegon and Kitum met at the 2012 Olympics, where Kitum won a bronze medal in the men’s 800-meter race. Kitum, also from Kenya, is accomplished in his own right, as he has won medals at the World Youth Championships and World Junior Championships. He also won the World Athletics Relay as a silver medalist.
In recent years, Kitum has stepped back from competing and, as Kipyegon has mentioned in interviews, supports his wife to the fullest extent. Kipyegon has even dedicated gold medals to him in the past. “He’s a very special person,” Kipyegon told TV47. “I really thank him for giving me an opportunity to train … he really understands sports.” In an interview with Engage Talk, Kipyegon said, “He’s been supporting me all through since we met,” referring to Kitum.
Although this Breaking4 with Nike will be a historic moment in sports history, it is not Kipyegon’s first time breaking records and being a stellar athlete.
As a teenager, Kipyegon won junior races and championships on a global scale. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, she represented her home country, Kenya, and won a gold medal in the women’s 1,500-meter final. Kipyegon took a maternity break in 2018 to give birth to her and Kitum’s daughter, Alyn, and returned to the podium at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It was there she won the gold again for the women’s 1,500-meter race, and set a new time record. (She broke that record, too, at the 2024 Paris Olympics.)
Breaking records is nothing new for Kipyegon, though. In 2023, she broke three world records under 50 days, including the women’s 1,500-meter world record, 5,000-meter world record, and one-mile world record. Despite reaching amazing heights that season, Kipyegon wasn’t done. At the 2023 World Athletics Championships, she became the first woman to win a double in the 1,500-meter and 5,000-meter races on the global level. That year, she was recognized for her greatness by receiving the title World Athlete of the Year by World Athletics.
I can’t wait to see Kitum cheering Kipyegon on at Breaking4, and being her number one supporter as she achieves one of the ultimate races for female runners.