It won’t be Faith alone breaking four for women

Bannister’s run, noted McWhirter, would stand as a meeting, track, English, British, all-comers, European, Empire and world record.

Finally, the climax: “The time is three…”

Such was the eruption at the Oxford track that the rest of the announcement was drowned out; the minutiae of Bannister’s three-minute 59.4-second run happily disregarded in the knowledge that he had become the first man ever to run a mile in less than four minutes.

In the 71 years since he smashed one of the most coveted barriers in sport, aided by pacemakers Christopher Chataway and Chris Brasher, almost 2,100 men have followed suit. That Faith Kipyegon will even attempt to become the first woman to do so in Paris on Thursday is remarkable.

Kipyegon, a 31-year-old Kenyan mother, is the undisputed great of female middle-distance running: three Olympic and three world 1,500 metres titles attest to the fact, in addition to her 1,500m and mile world records. The latter is 4min 7.64sec – almost five seconds quicker than any other woman, but a temporal chasm away from being under four minutes.

Her sponsor Nike has confirmed Kipyegon will be aided by three innovations in the French capital. She will wear a one-piece skinsuit, with accompanying headband and limb sleeves, featuring “3D-printed aeronodes” – hemispherical bobbles – to disrupt airflow and reduce drag behind. Her bra will also be 3D printed in a thermoplastic material to stop moisture retention.

Perhaps most significant are her shoes. Her prototype spikes will weigh just 85g apiece. Developers suggest they would conform to World Athletics regulations, but they have not been submitted for approval. This is enough for the governing body to shake its head when determining whether to ratify the run as a record. But there may be additional illegal factors, notably an anticipated use of pacemakers – a wind-shielding group of male pacers or a rotating cast of women.

Such external aids mean some devoted athletics followers will shudder at her name occupying the same sentence as Bannister’s if successful next week.

In a sport as pure as athletics – run fastest, throw furthest, jump highest – the sanctity of achievements necessarily matter. In such a context, Kipyegon’s effort will not officially count. But it will be no less extraordinary. In 2019, Kipyegon’s Kenyan compatriot – and training partner – Eliud Kipchoge used similar conditions in Vienna to become the first man ever to run a marathon distance in less than two hours. Like Kipyegon’s run, the time remains unofficial.

Yet, when asked what one running memory he would keep, Kipchoge chose that over his Olympic titles, ratified world records or various marathon triumphs.

His joy in Austria followed a failed attempt two years earlier on the Monza Formula One circuit. That venture – ‘Breaking2’ – was also organised by Nike and the athletics talent agency overseeing Kipyegon’s ‘Breaking4’ mission at the Stade Charlety next week.

Will it take another near-miss to secure a future triumph? Most believe Kipyegon will take a chunk off her official world record, but fall short of dipping below four minutes.

Others hope combining the latest technology with the commitment of an unrivalled talent will realise the improbable in one of few athletics events to truly transcend sport.

Such trivialities as regulations will cease to matter if Kipyegon’s time begins with a three.

Photograph: Nike