2025 Reimagined: What if… Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon had broken the 4-minute mile barrier | Sport-others News
Three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 1,500 metres cemented her legendary status, but Kenya’s Faith Kipyegon had the chance to do what no woman had done before — run the mile in less than four minutes. Dedicated pace makers, an aerodynamic suit with 3D-printed aeronodes to reduce wind resance, new super spikes, a head band to reduce drag — Nike had kitted up Kipyegon to help her run faster than she ever had. She had trained with the pacemakers for months to ensure she got the best-possible advantage.
But she had to run nearly eight seconds faster than her previous best to emulate Roger Banner, who became the first man to run a four-minute mile.
However, it was not to be even for one of the greatest dance runners. In June, at the Stade Charléty in Paris, Kipyegon clocked 4:06.42, faster than her official world record of 4:07.64 but the barrier-breaking run remained a dream.
However, going six seconds faster will be a monumental achievement for her or anyone else. There’s no doubting her spirit, fortitude and endurance but skeptics would have pointed to the assance she got in a controlled race environment. The naysayers would have had a point.
In 2019, Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge became the first man to break the two-hour mark in the marathon in a curated course in Vienna with the help of a dedicated team of pace makers and the latest version of Nike’s shoes. His time of 1:59.40.2 was just under the two-hour mark but is not an official record. But over six years since, Kipchoge is the only man to ever do so. His World Athletics recognised fastest time in the marathon is 2:01.09, only bettered Kelvin Kiptum’s 2:00.35. Kiptum died in a car crash and Kipchoge is in his twilight years. Kipchoge wouldn’t have been a lesser athlete if he had missed the mark. Nor is Kipyegon.
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Nihal Koshie is an Associate Editor and sports writer at The Indian Express. He is best known for his in-depth reporting and investigative work that often explores the intersection of sports and social issues. He is also a key member of the sports desk, which is based out of The Indian Express’ office in Noida.
Professional Background
Role: Associate Editor (Sports) at The Indian Express.
Key Achievements: He is a two-time winner of the prestigious Ramnath Goenka Award for Excellence in Journalism. He won the RNG award for ‘Sports Journalism’ for 2019 for his exclusive interview and follow up stories with sprinter Dutee Chand, who became the first Indian athlete to say she was in a same-sex relationship. He won his second RNG award in the ‘Investigative Reporting’ for 2023 for a series of exclusive stories related to sexual harassment charges levelled against WFI president Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh the country’s top women wrestlers.
Expertise: While he covers major sports, he is particularly recognized for his extensive reporting on Athletics, investigative stories and long-form news features.
Recent Notable Topics & Articles (Late 2025)
Nihal Koshie’s recent work reflects a focus on investigative and human-interest stories
Recent investigative pieces: He recently wrote a profile of an Indian teenager serving a jail sentence in Kenya after being embroiled in a doping scandal while chasing “Olympic dreams.”
Wrestling: He continues to track the political and social fallout of the Indian wrestling protests, including the recent public appearances of Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and the political career of wrestler Vinesh Phogat.
Recent long-form features: The story of the rise of Kranti Gaud, the young fast bowler who was a key member of the ICC women’s World Cup-winning team; The physics and science behind modern cricket bats
Podcast Presence
He is a guest and contributor to the “Game Time” podcast The Indian Express, where he provides technical and social analysis of current sporting events.
Experience: 24+ years
Previous experience: Times of India (2001-2005), Daily News and Analysis (2005 to 2010)
Nihal joined The Indian Express in May, 2010
Social Media
X ( formerly Twitter) : @nkoshie
You can follow his latest work and full archive on his official author profile. … Read More
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