Every runner experiences pre-race jitters before major competitions. Some athletes use deep breathing, visualize race strategies, or imagine their victory celebrations to manage stress.
For Kipyegon, the key to maintaining composure is laughter. "I watch comedies to relax and forget everything," the Kenyan runner said during a Nike-organized press conference on 19/6. "Specifically, Nigerian comedies."
Science supports Kipyegon's approach. According to Doctor Grace Tworek, a psychologist at the Cleveland Clinic, laughter activates the parasympathetic nervous system—the body's built-in relaxation mode—which soothes the fight-or-flight response triggered by anxiety and promotes clarity.
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Faith Kipyegon wins her third consecutive 1,500m gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Photo: Reuters |
Faith Kipyegon wins her third consecutive 1,500m gold medal at the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Photo: Reuters
On 26/6, Kipyegon will aim to become the first woman to run a mile (1.6 km) in under 4 minutes. This is a familiar setting for Kipyegon, where she broke the world records in the 1,500m (3 minutes 49.23 seconds) and 5,000m (14 minutes 5.20 seconds) in 2023.
Kipyegon still holds the world record in the 1,500m but lost the 5,000m record to Gudaf Tsegay, an Ethiopian runner who achieved a time of 14 minutes 0.21 seconds in the US in 9/2023.
Kipyegon needs to improve her personal best by 8 seconds to achieve her goal. She currently holds the world record in the mile (1.6 km) with a time of 4 minutes 7.64 seconds, set at the 2023 Diamond League. "I know it won't be easy, but I believe it's possible," the 31-year-old runner said confidently. "This will be my legacy. I want to show everyone that women can do what men can do."
The 1,500m record holder said she and her longtime coach, Patrick Sang, haven't changed much in preparation for this record attempt. "We are doing the same training as before the 2024 Paris Olympics," she explained. "I see him as a father figure. I trust him and his philosophy."
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Faith Kipyegon (right) and Eliud Kipchoge. Photo: Nike |
Faith Kipyegon (right) and Eliud Kipchoge. Photo: Nike
Similar to Eliud Kipchoge's sub-two-hour marathon run, Kipyegon will compete under ideal conditions, with precise pacing, Nike-designed equipment, and a controlled environment to help her push her limits.
Kipyegon is known as the queen of middle-distance running, holding world records in the 1,500m and the mile, and formerly in the 5,000m. Kipyegon is the only athlete in history to win three consecutive gold medals in the 1,500m at the 2016 Rio, 2020 Tokyo, and 2024 Paris Olympics, where she also set the Olympic record.
In addition to her Olympic achievements, Kipyegon is also a world champion in the 1,500m in 2017, 2022, and 2023, and in the 5,000m in 2023. At the 2024 Paris Olympics, she also won a silver medal in the 5,000m after a successful appeal against disqualification.
Hong Duy (Canadian Running Magazine)
