Breaking four: Will Kipyegon join the elite club of Kenya's barrier breakers?

Gold medallist Faith Kipyegon celebrates after winning the women's 1500m final at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games at Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Paris, on August 10, 2024. [AFP]

October 13, 1968 inside Olympic Stadium in Mexico City remains a memorable one for Kenyan women athletics.

It was just three months after Tom Mboya had been killed and the political temperatures were still high. It was also nine months before Neil Armstrong and his crew landed on the moon.

Kenyan women defied the ancient rule book on illiteracy, travelled miles away searching for fame and fortune -and that marked their starting point to ship home the bullion.

They saw, conquered and went against all odds even while competing barefoot and even in petticoats.

And 57 years later, you might be tempted to think that their athletics scripts descended from heaven.

A lot is expected as three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon prepares to chase historic sub four minute mile -to become the first woman in history to run a mile in under four minutes.

The historic attempt will take place during a special event titled "Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon versus the 4-Minute Mile" at the Stade Charlety in Paris on June 26.

In her attempt, Kipyegon is pursuing a feat that was once considered an insurmountable limitation and has, until now, remained beyond the reach of the world's most elite women athletes. She will attempt to shave at least 7.65 seconds off her world record time of 4:07.64, set in 2023, to become the first woman to break the threshold Roger Bannister first surpassed in 1954.

"I want this attempt to say to women, 'You can dream and make your dreams valid,'" said Kipyegon. "This is the way to go as women, to push boundaries and dream big."

Kipyegon is likely to join five men -Eliud Kipchoge, Moses Tanui, Moses Kiptanui, Yobes Ondieki and Daniel Komen -who broke barriers in athletics.

Kipchoge is the only atahlete to run a marathon in under two hours; Tanui was the first man to run half marathon under one hour; Kiptanui was the first man to run 3,000m steeplechase under eight minutes; Ondieki was the first man to run 10,000m in under 27 minutes while Komen is the only man to have run two miles under eight minutes.

Kipyegon's bid comes as she prepares for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan, on September 13-21.

Kipyegon is the only athlete to have won the world 1500m title three times and is expected to enter into the club of Kenya's four-time world champions.

She will join Vivian Cheruiyot and Ezekiel Kemboi. No one else is on that list of honours.

Kipyegon can attain the feat. She is a natural winner with a bullet-proof CV, which hits every checkmark on the road to glory.

She was the first woman in the world to dip under 3:50 in 1500m -as she set the world record of 3:49.11 at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Florence, Italy.

Kipyegon has won global 1500m titles in the Olympic Games (2016, 2020 and 2024) and World Athletics Championships in 2017, 2022 and 2023.

Tegla Sang was Kenya's first woman to compete at the 1968 Olympic Games.

Tegla, who was married to the late athlete Julius Sang, worked as an instructor at University of Eldoret under the sports department. She now runs Chemabwai-Sang Educational Centre near Eldoret.

Interestingly, Tegla and her teammate Cherono Maiyo, met their husbands at the Mexico City Games. Tegla was married to Julius Sang while Cherono is married to Amos Biwott, the man who set Kenya's 3000m steeplechase winning streak at the Games.

Tegla said evolution of African traditions and the technological advances in sports keep propelling women to greater heights.

"We made history but there is a lot in store. We never received attention like men during our time because of some age-old African traditions that were against women. We were put on the periphery for quite too long. And that's why you saw women started competing late at the global stage. We played catch up to men. But eventually we made it.

"At the moment, our women are breaking world records and winning more medals than men in major competitions like the Olympic Games and the World Championships. There is still a huge potential.

"That's why when Ruth Chepng'etich set the world record of 2:09.56 at the Chicago Marathon last year, most athletics followers doubted the impressive time. But let me tell you, even 2:07 in a marathon is possible.

"Faith Kipyegon will make it a four-time world champion. With the kind of facilities, motivation and the favourable training atmosphere, she will do it and continue breaking barriers," said Tegla.

Tegla inspired Sabina Chebichii, who was Kenya's first woman to win a medal at the Commonwealth Games in Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1974.

Chebichii, better known as the 'petticoat', for competing in a petticoat at the contest picked up the mantle. She did not betray her Kalenjin surname Chebichii, which means 'a tough one' as she settled for bronze in 800m.

Ruth Waithera became the first Kenyan woman to reach the Olympics Games in the 400m. Mary Wagaki was 69th in the marathon. It was another 12 years before Pauline Konga became the first Kenyan woman Olympic medalist after winning silver in 5,000m in Atlanta.

Lydia Cheromei, who made the national team for the World Junior Championships in Bulgaria in 1990, retired after finishing second at the Eldoret City Marathon in 2019.

She emerged the first woman to win a world cross country title in Antwerp, Belgium, in 1991 while a Form One student at Sing'ore Girls High School in Elgeyo Marakwet.

Her smooth running style to the top of world athletics started while she was a Standard Eight pupil at Kapsigot Primary School in Baringo County in 1990.

Susan Sirma emerged as the first black woman to win a medal at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan. She won bronze in 800m.

Sally Barsosio, who won Kenya's first 10,000m gold in 1997 at worlds while a Form Four Student at Sing'ore Girls in Elgeyo Marakwet, retired recently.

She made her debut in the national team in 1995 at the All Africa Games in South Africa. She works in KDF and attributes her long stay on the track to discipline.

Nancy Jebet Lagat set the women's gold-winning bid in motion as she won the 1500m title inside Birds Nest Stadium in Beijing, China, in 2008.

Her victory in Beijing, which was the first Olympic gold medal for a Kenyan woman, seemed to have whet Kenyan women's appetite into chasing Olympic crowns.

Lagat, who works at the Kenya Defence Forces, picked up athletics while a Standard Seven pupil at Kapletingi Primary School in Keiyo South before proceeding to Kapkenda Girls High School, another athletics powerhouse, where her latent talent stirred.