Record breaking is vital to track and field’s success as a sport; it’s what excites the public. But every so often an athlete goes beyond running, jumping, or throwing further than anyone else and enters uncharted territory, leading the next generation to even greater possibilities.
Thirty-seven years ago, Soviet runner Tatyana Kazankina became the first woman to dip under four minutes for the 1,500-meter distance. Since then, 130 women have “beaten four,” including Kenyan superstar and Nike athlete Faith Kipyegon, who has a sublime tally of 26 such clockings, the most of any woman ever.
On June 2, the 29-year-old broke through the next 1,500-meter barrier—3 minutes 50 seconds—in Florence, Italy, ushering in what must surely be a new era in women’s middle-distance running. At the finish, she pointed with disbelief at the stadium clock which read “3:49.11. World Record.” She shaved 96 one-hundredths off Genzebe Dibaba’s record (3:50.07).
Her dominance was such that she finished eight seconds ahead of Britain’s Laura Muir, the Tokyo Olympic silver medalist. Moreover, she covered her final lap in a…
