“Nike has been criticised for not having enough innovative products,” said Morningstar analyst David Swartz, so if it can deploy technology in a way that helps set a record, “it would certainly attract a lot of attention.”
The current women’s one-mile record, just under 4:08, was set by Kipyegon herself, in 2023. To shave eight seconds off a run in just two years is a tall task, and success isn’t guaranteed.
In a similar 2016 initiative called Breaking2, Nike worked with three runners to break the two-hour marathon, but none did. Kenyan runner Eliud Kipchoge got closest at 2:00:25, but his run wasn’t recognised as a record because he was assisted by teams of pacesetters.
Breaking2 is remembered for Nike’s introduction of the Vaporfly, a controversial carbon-plated sneaker that retails for about $250 and has been shown to improve performance — but is viewed by some as technological doping. The company has so far declined to offer specifics on innovations planned for Kipyegon.
Initiatives like this are “good publicity” regardless of outcome, Swartz said, especially after new CEO Elliott Hill, and other company leaders, vowed to refocus the brand’s identity about core sports like running.
At the same time, the sportswear industry is more crowded than it was a few years ago, and “if this campaign does well, it won’t necessarily mean every runner will suddenly be wearing [Kipyegon’s] shoes,” said Jessica Ramirez, co-founder of retail advisory firm The Consumer Collective.
It’s a significant moment for three-time Olympic Gold medallist Kipyegon, 31, a native of Kenya’s Rift Valley province. Kipyegon has condemned a rash of gender-based murders of Kenyan women, including high-profile athletes like runner Agnes Tirop.
As mother to a daughter, Kipyegon said in a statement on Wednesday she’s running “to say to women, ‘You can dream and make your dreams valid’.”
Breaking4 could also appeal to key regions of Nike consumers. For example, running has grown increasingly popular in China, where Nike sales fell 17% last quarter, worrying investors.
Reuters
