In this special episode of the Marathon Handbook Podcast, recorded on the ground in Paris, we dive deep into Nike’s audacious Breaking4 project and Faith Kipyegon’s attempt to become the first woman to run a sub-4-minute mile.
This episode is sponsored by Hettas: performance running shoes for women. Check out Hettas at hettas.com
We kick things off by setting the scene from a sweltering Paris just 25 hours before the event (02:15), and introduce the superstar at the center of it all: Faith Kipyegon, the reigning queen of middle-distance running (05:00). We explore why Paris and Stade Charléty were selected for this historic attempt (07:40), and why this event is being treated with the same magnitude as Breaking2 (10:30).
Then we dig into the groundbreaking science and tech behind Breaking4 — including two key research studies that laid the foundation for this effort (12:30), the custom-engineered speed suit and spikes Kipyegon will wear (18:00), and why the event won’t count as an official world record (22:40). We explain the complex pacing strategy Nike has landed on after months of testing (26:00), who the elite pacers are (30:00), and discuss whether Kipyegon’s legacy could soon rival Kipchoge’s (35:00).
We debate the barriers to mainstream fame for women’s track stars and how this moment could ignite a "Kipyegon Effect" (42:00). Then it’s time for conspiracy theories and hot takes: has she already broken four in secret? (46:00), is this her absolute peak? (50:00), and how much is Nike really spending on this event? (56:00).
We close with predictions (1:02:00) and what’s next as we head trackside for our live coverage and instant reactions (1:04:30). This is your all-access pass to what could be a turning point in running history.
Be sure to follow our live updates and the the live stream on June 26 starting at 1 pm EDT (7 pm CEST) for our coverage from the track in Paris of Breaking4:
https://marathonhandbook.com/live-updates-nike-breaking4-live-stream/
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