On May 6, 1954, Roger Bannister broke the four-minute mile, once deemed impossible. Now, a study reveals that Kenyan runner Faith Kipyegon, with training and conditions, could achieve a time of 3:59:37. Kipyegon, the current world record holder, recently ran the mile in 4:07.64, just three percent off. Researchers like Professor Rodger Kram note that wind resistance poses a significant barrier, indicating that eliminating this drag could enhance performance and potentially lead Kipyegon to break the four-minute mark.
When Kipyegon smashed the women's world record for a mile in 2023 with a time of 4:07.64, she was just three per cent off the four-minute mark.
'Prior to Bannister, it was considered impossible - beyond the limits of human physiology,' says Professor Kram.
With the right training, state-of-the-art shoes, and a carefully choreographed team of pacing runners, scientists say Kipyegon could be the first woman to pass this seemingly impossible barrier.
The researchers calculate that an athlete of Kipyegon's size would face wind resistance equal to two per cent of their body weight at a four-minute mile pace.
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