One month ago, 30-year-old Faith Kipyegon was in Paris doing what she does best—running fast and winning. On July 7, at the Paris Diamond League meet, the four-time world champion and two-time Olympic gold medalist from Kenya lowered her own world record in the 1500 meters to a blazing 3:49.04.
Kipyegon’s performance proved she is well primed in the prelude to the Paris Olympic Games, where she will focus on becoming a three-peat gold medalist in the 1500 meters—a feat that no woman has ever accomplished. She will also double in the 5,000 meters, an event she has taken command of in just the past year, setting a world record in 2023 (later broken by Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia) and winning a world title in the distance.
In conversation ahead of her fourth Olympic Games, the veteran middle-distance superstar discussed her quest for more gold, life at training camp in rural Kenya, and how admiring her greatest rival motivates her to go further—and faster.
Run/Walk a Race
I joined the training camp in 2019. Staying here from Monday to Saturday, it’s like being home. This camp is [mostly] marathoners. They are doing 40K a week. I always join them. Doing 40 kilometers is just like 20 kilometers.
I think it really builds my endurance. When you have a lot of endurance, when you go to the track, the speed is coming on its own. Doing 30 or 40 kilometers really helps me, and it has never destroyed my mind.
The marathon, we’ll leave it for the future, but one day, one time I will do it.
Run/Walk a Race
It has been a long journey. I started with him when I was a junior. He’s a good person and really wants to help people achieve their dreams. It’s [been] about 13, 14 years. He’s the perfect person in my career. He’s a very good athlete. He tried to sacrifice his own running [to] help me. It’s not an easy decision.
Health & Injuries
Since [I’ve] competed at the Olympic level, I’ve learned a lot, especially in the 2012 London Olympics, when I was a junior and getting experience as an elite athlete. It taught me that you have to be patient, train hard, and believe in yourself.
Going into the 2016 Rio Olympics, I started believing in myself. And I won a gold medal. The Tokyo Olympics was my first gold medal as a mom. It gave me motivation that I can still do more in athletics. I’m looking forward to the Paris Olympics. Hopefully, it will be the best year.
What I Learned Running 3 Miles A Day For 21 Days
I hope everything will go well. I just pray to God to stay healthy and focus myself toward that day, and we will see what will happen. There are many strong athletes, and I hope that we can push ourselves toward bigger goals. But the main goal is the gold medal.
On Friend and Rival Sifan Hassan
I’m always confident when I’m going to the track. I think nerves get me ready and know what is coming up and [to] have confidence and believe in the training. I normally compete on my own. I don’t see other people. When I step onto the track, I take a breath, and I know I’m the only one. If you start seeing people, you will not believe in yourself, you’re believing in other people. I don’t underrate anybody.
DAA Industry Opt Out
She motivates me. Doing what a human cannot imagine, [the] marathon and coming back to the track and doing 1500, 5000, and 10,000. If Sifan can do this, why not me? It’s really motivating me to work hard.
On Her Fourth Olympic Games
The 5,000 [is] a way of moving toward the longer distance, but I can’t say when I am going to [fully] switch from 1500 to 5,000. Of course I will leave the 1500 to the younger generation and move toward the longer distance—5,000, 10,000, and the marathon in the future. But I still want to see what I’m capable of in 1500.
A lady like [Hellen] Obiri doing 5,000 and 10,000 and after that moved fully to the marathon, and she is really performing well—Obiri has taught us that no human is limited, as Eliud [Kipchoge] always says.
