We all get them, those pre-race jitters, the nervous energy that comes before the start of a big race. Some runners try deep breathing. Others visualize happy places. But for three-time Olympic 1,500m champion and mile world record holder Faith Kipyegon, the secret to staying calm on race day is laughter.
As Kipyegon prepares for her sub-four-minute mile attempt (Breaking4) in Paris on June 26, she shared her go-to strategy for squashing nerves during a press conference organized by Nike. “I watch funny movies to help me relax and get my mind off things,” Kipyegon revealed. “More specifically, Nigerian comedies.”
While others visualize race tactics or doze off into a pre-race nap, Kipyegon takes a lighter route, and it turns out, science is on her side. According to Cleveland Clinic psychologist Dr. Grace Tworek, laughter activates the parasympathetic nervous system, the body’s built-in chill mode, easing the anxious fight-or-flight reflex and inviting clarity in its place. For Kipyegon, the movies are not just entertainment; they’re a reset button.
Next week’s attempt is part of Nike’s Breaking4 campaign (a parallel to Eliud Kipchoge’s Breaking2 marathon project in 2017) and will take place at Paris’s Stade Sébastien Charléty. It’s a familiar setting for Kipyegon, who in 2023 broke the 1,500m world record there and ran her fastest-ever 5,000m, which was also a world record at the time.
But this record won’t come easily. Her current mile world record stands at 4:07.64, nearly eight seconds off the unimaginable four-minute barrier. “I know it’s not going to be easy, but I believe it’s possible,” said Kipyegon on the challenge. “Breaking4 would be my legacy. I want to show people that a woman can do what a man can do.”
The 31-year-old said she and longtime coach Patrick Sang haven’t changed much around her training in preparation for the record attempt. “We’re doing the same workouts I did before the Paris Olympics,” she said. “I see him like a father. I believe in him and his philosophy.”
Just like Breaking2, the sub-four event will feature ideal conditions, precision pacing, Nike-engineered gear and a controlled environment to help push her limits. But perhaps Kipyegon’s biggest edge will come hours before she laces up—settled in front of a screen, laughing at a Nollywood film.
Her message to young girls watching? “Dream big,” said Kipyegon. “The next generation will look up to you.”
