How many times has Faith Kipyegon broken the World Record? Exploring the pursuits of the Kenyan Athlete ahead of the Paris Olympics

Faith Kipyegon has broken four world records in three different categories over the course of her storied career. Most recently, she piped her own record in the 1500m race while competing at the Paris Diamond League, stopping the clock at 3:49.04.

Kipyegon had long since established herself as one of the best 1500m runners of all time, claiming back-to-back Olympic titles and three World Championships golds in the distance. However, despite being close to the world record time in multiple races, she only set her own record in 2023.

Running at the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in June 2023, Kipyegon stormed to a finish of 3:49.11, slashing nearly a second off Genzebe Dibaba’s world record of 3:50.07, and becoming the first woman to break the three-minute 50-second mark.

Exactly a week later, Faith Kipyegon participated in the 5,000m run at the Paris Diamond League, marking only her third time competing in the event, and the first time she ran the distance professionally since 2015.

The Kenyan surprised everyone including herself, when she ran a time of 14:05.20, bettering Letesenbet Gidey’s world record by well over a second. This time has since been breached by Gudaf Tsegay, as she clocked a 14.00.21 at the Prefontaine Classic in September of 2023, setting a new world record.

In July of 2023, a month after her record-breaking outings in the 1,500m and the 5,000m, Faith Kipyegon made history when running the mile. Competing in the Monaco Diamond League, the 30-year-old clocked a time of 4:07.64, surpassing Sifan Hassan's world record of 4:12.33 by a stunning margin.

Now, the Kenyan has reset her own world record in the 1,500m, proving her dominance ahead of the Paris Olympics.

Faith Kipyegon on breaking her own world record

For Faith Kipyegon, the beginning of her Olympic season was marred by injury, forcing the Kenyan to sit out the first half of the year. The two-time Olympic champion only got back on track for the Kenyan Olympic Trials, looking as though she never left. She stormed to a win in both the 1,5000m and the 5,000m, finishing well ahead of the rest of the pack.

Now, running the 1,500m for only the second time this year, Kipyegon has already broken a world record, something the 30-year-old said she knew she could do coming into the race.

“It feels amazing to break the world record. After the trials I knew that I was in world record shape, I have run the quickest time in Kenya with the altitude. With my injury I was really scared, because I didn’t know if I was going to make it. But I took my time and trusted my team and stayed out of competition for long. I will absolutely do the double in Paris, in the 1500m and 5000m,” she told the meet organizers at the Paris Diamond League.

The Paris Olympics will mark the first time that Faith Kipyegon runs both the 1,500 and 5,000m at the Games, and fans will be eager to see if the Kenyan can continue her dominance.