Faith Kipyegon’s attempt at becoming the first woman to run a mile in under 4 minutes is precisely two weeks away — and Nike has revealed the technology its utilizing to help in her quest for history.
A bespoke Fly Suit and track spikes have been engineered specifically for Kipyogen and her “Breaking4” project, and she’ll also debut the FlyWeb sports bra, which has created with computational design and is made out of 3D printed TPU.
“Every improvement she inspired will ripple forward into future designs, not just for her but for every woman who trains, competes and dreams,” Janet Nichol, Nike FlyWeb lead, said in a press release.
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The 31-year-old Kenyan typically turns to the Victory 2 track spike, but for her attempt at history June 26 in Paris she’ll wear a custom-engineered spike dubbed the Victory Elite FK. It features a taller, tuned Air Zoom unit at the forefoot along with a lighter carbon fiber plate, advanced foams and six spikes. A new upper makes use of ultra-lightweight yearns, and the “FK” mark appearing on one of the two plates is short for both Faith Kipygeon and “Fastest Known.”
Computer simulation and wind-tunnel testing went into the development of Kipyogen’s Fly Suit, which consists of a single-piece suit as well as complementary arm and leg sleeves and headband. Each piece is constructed with a proprietary new material that’s slick and stretchy. 3D printed spherical half circles, or Aeronodes, are then strategically placed and vary in size to minimize drag. Nike is calling the Fly Suit the fastest most aerodynamic speed suit in running history.
The final piece of Kipyogen’s kit will be the FlyWeb, Nike’s new sport bra that marks an accelerated use of the 3D printed TPU material developed by the Nxt Apparel team. Optimized for moisture and temperature management, the sports bra is lightweight, breathable and soft to the touch. It’s also seamlessly integrated into her Fly Suit to provide unrestricted movement.
“The integrative nature of this kit means everything with this attempt,” Brett Kirby, principal researcher for the Nike Sports Research Lab, said. “Not any one thing will help her break it.”
Kipyogen set the current women’s record for the mile, 4:07.64, in 2023, meaning she’ll need to shave nearly eight seconds in order to come in under the 4-minute mark. Based on the progression of the record so far, it wouldn’t be expected for a woman to accomplish the feat for another 10 to 30 years.
Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes in 1954, and 1,755 men have now crossed that threshold. For women, a 4:30 mile is widely considered the rough equivalent for the same distance.
Kipyogen’s attempt at the 4-minute mile will stream live June 26 on Prime Video, as well as Nike’s accounts on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok and Douyin. A documentary series on her preparation will also premiere June 20 on Prime Video.