If there were an accolade to celebrate a woman’s unwavering pursuit of excellence, Faith Kipyegon would unquestionably be the recipient. The Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner has demonstrated remarkable consistency by clinching victory in every competition she’s participated in this season.

Just last month, she secured two gold medals at the World Athletics Championships held in Budapest, triumphing in both the 1500-meter and 5000-meter races. During that period, she unveiled a straightforward strategy that has evidently propelled her to success time and time again:

“Get to the front and go faster.”

That time, Kipyegon, despite cementing herself as one of the most decorated athletes in track and field, also mentioned that she would continue to push herself more.

“I have been consistent, focused on the finish line, and on writing history. I will continue to push myself in the future.”

Kipyegon’s achievement 

And this she truly did. On September 16, Kipyegon clocked a blistering 3:50:72 to take first place in the 1500 meters at the prestigious Prefontaine Classic and win her fifth Diamond League championship. She beat out Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji in second place with 3:53:93 and Great Britain’s Laura Muir in third place with 3:55.16.

“This was amazing, starting with the world record and now winning the (Diamond League) trophy,” she said. “It has been a fantastic year for me and I really thank God for that. Now I go back home to enjoy a little bit. My mind is to defend my title over the 1500, so we’ll see what will happen.”

Her time in the event was recorded as the fifth fastest time ever in the 1500 meter-race. Her victory was also posted on the World Athletics’ X account, where they posted a picture of Kipyegon and captioned it with:

She can’t stop winning.

@FaithKipyegon_
wins the women’s 1500m Diamond League title with 3:50.72, the 5th fastest time EVER.

She can't stop winning 🫶@FaithKipyegon_ wins the women's 1500m Diamond League title with 3:50.72, the 5th fastest time EVER. pic.twitter.com/LWwlvAvmtB

— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) September 16, 2023

Fans then flocked to the comment section to applaud Kipyegon’s victory.

“She’s destined for greatness”- @osiqeh

She's destined for greatness

— Nairobi WTF News (@NairobiWtfnews) September 17, 2023

“Well done ,you make Kenyans very happy and I tell you am so so proud of you & you have done it for Kenya.”- @CecilSesumun

Well done ,you make Kenyans very happy and I tell you am so so proud of you & you have done it for Kenya.

— cecil mungai (@CecilSesumun) September 17, 2023

“The Kenyan dynamo. She keeps generating wins after wins”- @pingache

The Kenyan dynamo. She keeps generating wins after wins

— Pingache Moses💙 (@pingache) September 17, 2023

NBC Olympics and Paralympics also lauded her victory at the Prefontaine Classic.

TOTAL. DOMINATION.

Faith claims the Diamond League trophy in the women’s 1500m in dominant fashion!

TOTAL. DOMINATION.

Faith Kipyegon claims the Diamond League trophy in the women's 1500m in dominant fashion!

📺: @nbc & @peacock | #EugeneDL pic.twitter.com/SXAMa2qXKy

— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) September 16, 2023

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Two-time Olympic gold medallist Faith Kipyegon is considered one of the greatest 1,500 metres athletes the world has ever seen. The Kenyan won the 1,500 metres gold in both Rio de Janeiro in 2016 and Tokyo in 2021. If she triumphs again in Paris, she will be the first athlete to win the Olympic event three times in a row.

Kipyegon had an incredible season in 2023. She broke world records in three events in under 50 days.

The 30-year-old broke the women’s 1,500 metres world record at the Diamond League meeting in Florence, Italy, at 3:49.11. Less than a week later, she shattered the 5,000 metres world record at the Diamond League event in Paris, France, with a time of 14:05.20. (That record was subsequently broken by the Ethiopian Gudaf Tsegay with a time of 14:00.21.)

Next, Kipyegon shattered the one-mile world record with a time of 4:07.64 at the Diamond League meet in Monaco.

Later in the season, at the 2023 World Athletics Championships held in Budapest, Hungary, Kipyegon won the 1,500 metres and the 5,000 metres—the first woman to do so at the global spectacle. In recognition of her remarkable feats, World Athletics crowned her the World Athlete of the Year for 2023.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Faith Kipyegon (@faithkipyegon)

Reasons for her success

Kipyegon has found her way to the top with her talent, work ethic, and positive and humble attitude. The nurturing environment she trained in has also helped.

Born in 1994 on a Kenyan farm in the Rift Valley, she walked and jogged many miles to and from school.

Her physical education teacher identified her potential. By the time she was 16, she had already placed 4th in the World Cross Country Championships.

She had the benefit of training in Kenya’s high-altitude athletics camps. Running at high altitudes means there is less oxygen, and athletes tire more easily. The camps have become renowned for pushing athletes like Kipyegon to the limits of their endurance. The coaches also play a vital role in their success. Retired elite athlete Patrick Sang, for example, has trained multiple Olympic champions, including Kipyegon and Eliud Kipchoge.

Many of the athletes come from poor rural families and run to escape poverty. Kipyegon has gone from running barefoot in her first races to the height of success.

BUDAPEST, Hungary- At the World Athletics Championships, Faith Kipyegon, 29, accomplished a remarkable feat by winning two gold medals in the 5000-meter and 1500-meter events.

In the history of middle-distance running, no woman has ever achieved anything this double feat. And the fact that Kipyegon has already won the 1500-meter event twice, in 2017 and 2022, only adds to how impressive this is. After defending her championship this year, Kipyegon has earned the moniker “Queen of Middle-Distance Running” from the media.

In an interview, Kipyegon shared her simple strategy for winning the historic doubles at the event: 

“Get to the front and go faster.”

As simple as it may seem, this has definitely worked for the Kenyan runner on Aug 22. In the 1500 m event, Kipyegon finished first overall with a time of 3:54.87, beating Diribe Welteji (silver) and Siffan Hassan (bronze) , who crossed the finish line in 3:55.69 and 3:56:00, respectively.

“Defending my title in the 1,500 was my big fish and main goal,” said Kipyegon, 29, who responded to the pace surge, earning her third gold medal at the world championships and her seventh 1,500 global medal overall. “But I’m excited to run the 5,000.” 

Four days later, Kipyegon bagged another gold medal as she placed first in the 5000 m with a record of 14 minutes 53.88 seconds, defeating Siffan Hassan (silver) with 14 minutes 54.11 seconds and Beatrice Chebet with 14 minutes 54.33 seconds. 

“This has been an amazing year for me,” she wrote. “Making history yesterday, winning two gold medals in a championships is what I was dreaming for this season. My dream just came true, it is amazing. I have been consistent, focused on the finish line and on writing history. I will continue to push myself in the future. My daughter gives me amazing support, she always tells me I can do it. Lastly, I want to thank my amazing team, my coach, my management and all amazing fans,” Kipyegon expressed on Instagram.

There is no doubt that Faith Kipyegon cemented her place among the world’s best distance runners with her historic 1500m/5000m double.

In her final tune-up for the season, Faith Kipyegon claimed bronze in the women’s mile event at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga on October 1, losing out to Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji and Freweyni Hailu by a whisker in the final moments of the race.

Welteji won the race in 4:20.98, breaking Nikki Hiltz’s April record of 4:27.97 in Des Moines and setting a new world mile record in Riga.

Hailu finished second in 4:23.06, while Kipyegon finished third in 4:24.13.

Kipyegon lags behind Ethiopian runners

Using her “go out to the front” and “get faster” strategy, the Kenyan runner got off to a great start in the race, leading the pack.

However, Ethiopia’s Welteji rose up to the challenge, picked up her pace, and, in no time, strode along Kipyegon in the road race. The two left behind their competitors, with only Hailu trailing closely behind in the final moments of the race. Kipyegon attempted to overtake Welteji at one point, but Welteji proved to be a formidable foe as she kept up with her and picked up the pace once they crossed the central landmark, edging out Kipyegon and finally breaking the tape at the finish line.

And Hailu, who was still following closely, caught up to Kipyegon in the final meters of the race and passed her to win the silver medal in the competition.

Kipyegon closes off her doors in ‘23

Despite her third place finish, Kipyegon was still glad that she had accomplished her first road race.

“It feels good to be part of these first World Road Running Championships, so I am glad I did it. This was my first road race, so I did well,”, Kipyegon said to World Athletics.

Finally, a few hours after the competition ended, Kipyegon bid her fans farewell as she closed her doors in 2023, finishing her season with a slew of awards to her name. Kipyegon dedicated two posts to her fans on her X, thanking everyone who supported her this year.

“After an incredible year with 3 World Records and 2 World titles on the track, I’m proud to finish the season with another World Championships medal in my first road race ever.

2023, you were amazing, and now… holiday and family time 🇰🇪

See you all in 2024.🙏”

After an incredible year with 3 World Records and 2 World titles on the track, I'm proud to finish the season with another World Championships medal in my first road race ever.

2023, you were amazing, and now… holiday and family time 🇰🇪

See you all in 2024.🙏 pic.twitter.com/w7S86o6tJl

— Faith Kipyegon, EGH🇰🇪 (@Kipyegon_Faith) October 1, 2023

“To all my fans, thanks a lot for your overwhelming support and sentiments of encouragement. I am really humbled🙏

Every race presents a learning curve, this first road race has offered me an opportunity to calibrate and fine tune for the next season. 🇰🇪♥️”

To all my fans, thanks a lot for your overwhelming support and sentiments of encouragement. I am really humbled🙏

Every race presents a learning curve, this first road race has offered me an opportunity to calibrate and fine tune for the next season. 🇰🇪♥️ pic.twitter.com/SXbEZtuOek

— Faith Kipyegon, EGH🇰🇪 (@Kipyegon_Faith) October 1, 2023

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An Australian runner, Jessica Hull, has solidified her status as an Olympic championship contender with a stunning effort that broke her Oceanian 1500-metre record.

Despite Hull’s remarkable run that broke the record in the Diamond League meeting on Sunday at Stade Charlety, Kenyan superstar Faith Kipyegon beat her with a new record of three minutes 49.04 seconds.

Yaroslava Mahuchikh of Ukraine broke the world record in the high jump, motivating competitors Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson of Australia in a memorable competition.

Faith Kipyegon, the double Olympic champion, beat her time by 0.07 seconds in the same hour.

With her 2.10-metre leap, Mahuchikh broke one of the longest-standing women’s records, paving the way for a thrilling Olympic competition.

Hull said; ‘What crazy it is to see my name in fifth! Making sure I’m ready to medal in Paris has been the main goal of my training this year.

‘I have dreamed of competing in the Olympics since I was a small child and have continued to wish. It’s crazy to think of breaking 3:50 now when I never thought 3:55 would be conceivable.’

As 12 women break the four-minute barrier, Kipyegon smashes the record.

Kipyegon broke the world record she set in Florence last year, charging ahead at the ring of the bell, leaving Hull and the others in her wake. In this historic race, Hull finished in second place; twelve women finished in under four minutes for the first time. One of them was another Australian, Linden Hall, who finished fourth with a personal best time of 3:56.40.

Mahuchikh shattered the 2.09-metre high jump record set by Bulgarian Stefka Kostadinova at the 1987 Rome World Championships.

On her second try, world indoor champion Nicola Olyslagers, who had been sidelined due to an injury for a month, matched the Ukrainian’s clearance of 2.01 metres. The 27-year-old Australian jumper, however, failed at 2.03 m. Mahuchikh went on to clear 2.10 metres to set a new high jump record.