Faith Kipyegon: from running barefoot to 3 world records and a possible double gold in Budapest

Faith Kipyegon is now a three-time world record holder after breaking records in the 1500m, 5000m, and one-mile distances. As she heads to Budapest, she has the opportunity to secure an unprecedented season of successes if she wins two gold medals.

In the city of Kaptagat, under the guidance of the legendary coach Patrick Sang, two of the greatest runners of all time are training. Eliud Kipchoge's name is destined to be inscribed in the history books as the best marathon runner of all time. Faith Kipyegon, renowned for her expertise in the 1500m year by year, is now poised to become a significant contender in the 5000m event in 2023.

Out of the two, Kipchoge won't be present in the wonderful downtown of Budapest for the World Championships. The 38-year-old athlete will run in Berlin, focusing on improving his own world record in the classic distance of 42,195m. Meanwhile, Kipyegon, now a holder of three world records, will be at the National Athletics Centre in Budapest. 

Last summer in Monaco, Faith Kipyegon was only 3 tenths of a second behind Genzeba Dibaba's remarkable time of 3:50.07 in the 1500m, but that gap was shattered in Florence on 2 June. Faith Kipyegon made history by becoming the first woman ever to complete the 1500m under 3:50 with an astonishing 3:49.11 performance, surpassing the previous world record held by the Ethiopian athlete by nearly a whole second. A week later, in Paris, she also surpassed Letesenbet Gidey's world record in the 5000m, an athlete known for her 10,000m prowess too. Since 9 June, Faith Kipyegon has been the world record-holder of the women's 5000m, setting an impressive time of 14:05.20.

In July, she secured her place in the Kenyan team for the upcoming World Championships between August 19 and 27, as she won the Kenyan trials for the 5000m, giving her the opportunity to compete in both the 1500m and 5000m events. In the 1500m, she had already earned her spot through her previous World Championships victory.

On July 21, during the Monaco event, Faith Kipyegon demonstrated her exceptional form once again, breaking the one-mile distance record set by Sifan Hassan with an impressive time of 4:12.33. And she outperformed herself in the Diamond League with a stunning time of 4:07.64.

She embarked on her first junior races running barefoot. At the young age of 16, she demonstrated remarkable talent by securing the 4th position in the junior field at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships. The following year, in 2011, she won the gold medal in Spain. It was evident from an early age that the 1500m distance could be her event as she triumphed in the 2011 Youth World Championships and the 2012 Junior World Championships, setting a new championship record. She also made her debut at the London Olympics and competed in the Moscow World Championships - before turning 20 - with an impressive 5th place finish. 

That was the first and only time she missed out on at least a silver medal position at the World Championships. The absence of her huge rival Sifan Hassan from the 1500m getting Budapest’s a little bit easy to her. Nevertheless, Gudaf Tsegay, the world indoor 1500m record holder and defending world 5000m champion, could prove to be a strong contender. 

On 26 August, the 5000m event could become an intriguing contest. Alongside the superheroes of Hassan, Gidey, and Tsegay, Beatrice Chebet emerges as a potential contender.

Throughout the 40-year history of the World Athletics Championships, no athlete has ever managed to win both the 1500 and 5000 meters events. However, there have been examples, when the program included 3000 meters instead of 5000, athletes accomplished the 1500-3000 double. At the inaugural World Championships in 1983, it was the American runner Mary Decker who achieved this feat, and at the second edition, four years later, the Soviet athlete Tetyana Samolenko accomplished it. 

Kipyegon, native of the Kalenjin tribe, discovered her passion for athletics at the age of 14 when she won a school one-kilometer race, leaving her competitors far behind by a margin of 20 meters. Athletics holds a deep-rooted tradition in her family, with her sister excelling as a 10km and half-marathon runner, serving as Faith's training partner during her younger days. Her father also displayed his athletic prowess as a 400 and 800 runner, while her mother has her own athletic background.

Her husband, Timothy Kitum, was the bronze medallist in the 800m at the London Olympics. In June 2018, Kipyegon and Timothy welcomed their daughter Alyn, Kipyegon could already call herself both an Olympic and world champion. 

In Tokyo, she defended her the title won in Rio, and if she manages to retain it in Paris, she will be the first runner ever to win three Olympic gold medals in the 1500m event.

Before heading to Paris, she will showcase her talent in Budapest, where she will participate in the 1500m heats on the first morning of the World Championships on 19 August. The semi-finals will follow the next evening, and the final will take place on 22 August, offering her the opportunity to become the first woman to step onto the podium five times in this event. A feat that has only been accomplished by the legendary Hicham El Guerrouj on the men's side – a name that needs no introduction in the world of athletics.