It's a barrier women have never broken. Can Faith Kipyegon make mile history?

A recent scientific study concluded a woman can run one mile in under 4 minutes. In the coming days, Faith Kipyegon will test that theory on the track.

Last winter, a study startled the running world when a team of researchers concluded that, under the right circumstances, Kenyan superstar Faith Kipyegon could break a barrier long thought impossible — becoming the first woman to run 1 mile in less than four minutes.

In the coming days, under a worldwide spotlight, that theory will be put to the test.

Kipyegon on Thursday will line up in Paris in a Nike-sponsored race called Breaking4, just four laps — and 1,609 meters, to be exact — from history.

If there were ever a runner to make such an attempt, it would be the 31-year-old Kipyegon. A three-time Olympic gold medalist in the 1,500 meters, who holds the world record in the 1,500 meters and formerly held the record at 5,000 meters, as well, she has come closer to the four-minute barrier than anyone. In 2023, racing in Monaco, Kipyegon smashed the previous world record for the mile by running 4:07.64.

“She’s really stretching your imagination and acceptance of how women can excel in sport,” said Rodger Kram, an associate professor emeritus at the University of Colorado who co-authored the study published in February in the Royal Society of Open Science.