On 26 June, Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner Faith Kipyegon will attempt to do what no woman has done before: run a sub–four-minute mile. In partnership with her sponsors Nike, the historic challenge will take place at Stade Charléty in Paris, where the current world record holder for the 1500 metres and mile will aim to become the first woman to break the four-minute barrier. To achieve this, Kipyegon will need to shave at least 7.65 seconds off her current world record of 4:07.64 – set in 2023 – to surpass the threshold first broken by Roger Bannister nearly 70 years ago.
To document this attempt, Nike is releasing a two-part documentary series on Amazon Prime Video, giving fans an inside look at Kipyegon’s training and journey toward the Breaking4 challenge.
Produced by Nike in collaboration with Box To Box Films, the series will offer exclusive access and interviews that highlight Kipyegon’s relentless pursuit of pushing athletic boundaries for both elite and everyday athletes, inspiring future generations to challenge the impossible.
The first 50-minute episode of the limited series, Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile, will premiere on 20 June. The second episode will follow in July.
Led by Academy Award–winning producer James Gay-Rees and Emmy-winning producer Paul Martin, Box To Box Films is best known for popular sports documentaries like Netflix’s Sprint, which follows elite sprinters as they navigate training, media scrutiny, and Olympic competition; and Formula 1: Drive to Survive, which offers an unprecedented look into the lives of Formula 1 drivers, team managers, and owners.
With the Breaking4 challenge, Kipyegon follows in the footsteps of fellow Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, who in 2019 shattered “the last barrier to modern athletics” by running a marathon in under two hours, the first human to do so, during the INEOS 1:59 challenge – also in partnership with Nike. Kipchoge’s historic feat became the subject of the documentary Kipchoge: The Last Milestone, executive-produced by Academy Award nominee Ridley Scott.
One of the greatest female athletes of our time, Kipyegon has built a career defined by firsts, proving that there’s no challenge she can’t overcome. She is one of just eleven athletes to win world championship titles at the youth, junior, and senior levels of her event. She is also the first woman to simultaneously hold the world records for both the 1500m and 5000m. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she became the first athlete ever to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 1500m, setting a new Olympic record in the process.
“I’m a three-time Olympic champion. I’ve achieved World Championship titles. I thought, What else? Why not dream outside the box? And I told myself, If you believe in yourself, and your team believes in you, you can do it,” Kipyegon said in a media release shared by Nike in April.
The documentary will be available in 11 languages across all countries where Prime Video operates, including Kenya.
Enjoyed this article?
To receive the latest updates from Sinema Focus directly to your inbox, subscribe now.
