Faith Kipyegon has cemented her legacy with three Olympic golds, balancing elite training, motherhood and a potential marathon future.
Three-time Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon may have already cemented her legacy as the greatest female 1500m runner of all time but she is far from done.
Fresh off her historic third Olympic gold medal in the 1500m at the Paris 2024 Games, where she also claimed silver in the 5000m, the Kenyan star is back to training, carefully balancing family life and her relentless pursuit of excellence on the track.
With the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo looming in August, Kipyegon has returned to her rigorous training routine at the Global Sports Communication Training Camp in Kaptagat, Kenya, under the watchful eye of coach Patrick Sang. Her focus? Defending her world titles and, perhaps, preparing for an eventual move up to the marathon.
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Pushing limits at 8,000 feet
On a crisp January morning, Kipyegon arrives at Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret, her second home, ready for another grueling session.
A strong scent of menthol fills the air as she rubs a balm onto her calves before stepping onto the track. Her workout? 10 repetitions of 1,000 meters at race pace, shadowing longtime pacer Bernard Soi, a training partner she has trusted for over a decade.
“To talk about Bernard is like writing a whole book,” Kipyegon said in an earlier interview.
“I’ve never changed my pacemaker. I believe in him.”
Her training regimen is nothing short of brutal. Sessions at 8,000 feet altitude in Kaptagat push her to the limit, simulating the oxygen debt she will experience in races.
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The 2004 Olympic champion is not worried about Noah Lyles’ slow start to the season as compared to Kishane Thompson who began on a high note.
On some days, she even joins marathoners on 40-kilometer runs, hinting at a future transition to the road.
“They always say, ‘you stay with a witch, you become a witch,’” she says with a laugh.
“I’ve stayed with marathoners, and they are doing 40K a week. I join. Doing 40 kilometers is like 20 kilometers.”
A legacy of dominance
Kipyegon’s Paris 2024 performance only reaffirmed her dominance. Not only did she clinch her third consecutive Olympic gold in the 1500m—a feat no woman has ever achieved in the event—but she also earned silver in the 5000m, proving her range.
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The world record holder in both distances, she has continued to push the boundaries of middle-distance running.
Her rivals, rather than resenting her dominance, celebrate her greatness. After breaking her own 1500m world record at the Paris Diamond League last June, British star Laura Muir, who finished third, marveled at Kipyegon’s brilliance.
“When you’re trying to stick with the world record-holder, it’s going to be tough! I’m just so happy for Faith, she deserves that so much,” Muir said.
Australia’s Jess Hull, who secured silver behind Kipyegon in the Paris 2024 Olympic 1500m final, echoed the sentiment:“[Kipyegon] is just class. We’re getting closer but she’s still the next level and she’s the triple Olympic champion now, so if you are going to get beat by anybody, I’m more than happy for it to be her.”
From barefoot beginnings to global icon
Kipyegon’s journey began humbly in Bomet, Kenya, where she grew up as the second youngest of nine children. Like many Kenyan stars, she started running barefoot, competing in school cross-country races before transitioning to the 1500m as a teenager.
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By 18, she was already at the 2012 London Olympics, an experience that, despite an early exit, taught her valuable lessons. Four years later, she returned as a favorite and won her first Olympic gold in Rio 2016.
In Tokyo 2020, after giving birth to her daughter Alyn in 2018, she retained her Olympic title, proving that motherhood was no barrier to greatness.
“I always describe myself as a fighter because I fight to the finish line,” she says.
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Faith Kipyegon
Today, Kipyegon inspires a new generation of young girls, including her daughter, to dream big. She often speaks about the importance of mentorship, not just for Kenyan athletes but for women across the world.
“I want to motivate the women and young athletes around the world – not just in Africa – to follow their hearts and work on their careers,” she told Athletics Weekly.
What’s next?
With three Olympic golds, four world titles and multiple world records, Kipyegon’s legacy is already secure.
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But she is not done yet. While her immediate focus is on the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo, she has hinted at a move to the marathon in the coming years, following in the footsteps of Hellen Obiri, a fellow middle-distance runner-turned-marathoner.
