Faith Kipyegon breaks previous mile record: 'I will not lose hope'

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Long-distance runner Faith Kipyegon may not have broken the sub-four-minute mile goal she set for herself this week, but she still made history shaving off more than a second from her previous world record, with a time of four minutes and six seconds -- the fastest mile ever run by a woman.

Kipyegon finished her attempt with an official time of 4:06.42 on Thursday.

"I was coming here to try to be the fastest woman -- it's only a matter of time, and I think it will come our way," the Kenyan-born runner said after finishing her run. "I will not lose hope. I will still go for it. I hope I will get it one day."

Christophe Ena/AP - PHOTO: Faith Kipyegon, from Kenya, runs surrounded by her pacers in an attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes, at Stade Charlety in Paris, June 26, 2025.

The 31-year-old attempted the milestone feat Thursday night at Stade Sébastien Charléty, a multi-purpose stadium in Paris and the site of her 1,500-meter and since-broken 5,000-meter world records.

Kipyegon looked confident and relaxed, wearing specialty engineered gear from Nike -- her partner of 16 years -- during the moonshot event, dubbed Breaking4.

Christophe Ena/AP - PHOTO: Faith Kipyegon, from Kenya, lies on the track after crossing the finish line in her attempt to become the first woman to run a mile in under four minutes, at Stade Charlety in Paris, June 26, 2025.

The four-time World champion and three-time Olympic gold medalist previously set the world record of 4:07.6 in Monaco in July 2023.

Because this was technically an exhibition, Kipyegon's new time isn't eligible for the record and won't be recorded in the history books just yet.

This is a developing story, please check back for updates.

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