Coffee with Larry, episode 758, June 27, 2025: Breaking4, Why NIKE did it, What happened, and How to do it better,

This is Coffee with Larry, episode 758, from June 27, 2025. I had a bit of trouble posting, but all is well that ends well. Focus is on Breaking 4, the “moonshot” from NIKE.

Coffee with Larry, episode 758, June 27, 2025:
Breaking4, Why NIKE did it, What happened, and How to do it better,
Coffee with Larry is the kind of daily podcast from
RunBlogRun.com.

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Our topics for today:

1. The NIKE Breaking4 was held on June 26, 2025, at Stade Charlety, a lovely athletics stadium in Paris, France that this writer has enjoyed over the years.2. Faith Kipyegon was the perfect athlete for the four minute mile attempt. No one else could have been the focus.

3. Faith Kipyegon had a PB of 4:07.64, she was focused on improving that time.4. With the help of 11 male pacers, two women pacers, a NIKE speed suit, a NIKE superbra, and NIKE track spikes, Faith Kipyegon ran 4:06.9 ( I beg to differ with the 4:06.42, more on that).

Faith Kipyegon, Breaking 4, June 26, 2025, photos courtesy of NIKE running

5. NIKE called this event, reportedly costing up to $30 million, a “Moon Shot”.

6. The use of influencers, hosting NIKE retailers, NIKE VIPS and those who requested a free ticket built up some excitement.

7. Why did NIKE do this?

Faith Kipyegon and her pacers, June 26, 2025, Paris, France, photo by NIKE Communications

8. How to make it better.

9. Why was it not held at the NIKE Pre Classic?

Faith Kipyegon, Breaking 4, photo by NIKE

10. Breaking4 is an example of both how NIKE can do amazing events that capture the imagination while battling back for running supremacy, something that they should never have lost, but have lost on several occasions.

11. NIKE should have mentioned first woman under five minutes for the mile, in 1955, here is her obit by Peter J. Thompson: https://www.runblogrun.com/2018/09/diane-leather-first-woman-to-run-under-5-minutes-for-the-mile-passes-away-obit-by-peter-thompson.html?swcfpc=1

Diane Leather, cover of London Illustrated News

Coffee with Larry is sponsored by OMIUS, the cooling technology company, www.omius.io .

Coffee with Larry, RunBlogRun and the RunningNetwork are sponsored by Brooks Running, since 1990, please find Brooks at www.brooksrunning.com .

Coffee with Larry is the kind of daily podcast from
RunBlogRun.com.

Author

Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 52-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys.

Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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