The husband of Serena Williams and co-founder of Reddit, Alexis Ohania, has vowed to donate $100,000 (about Ksh 12.9 million) to Kenyan Faith Kipyegon if she becomes the first woman to run a mile under four minutes in a historic bid on June 26 in Paris.
Kipyegon the women’s mile world record holder at 4:07.64, hopes to be the first woman in the world to cover the mile in under four minutes.
The race titled Breaking4: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile is being organized in perfect conditions and sponsored by Nike.
Ohanian, a vocal supporter of women in sport and husband to Serena Williams, announced his pledge on X and Instagram, saying, “Hope she wins our $100K ??? I’ve got Faith.” He added, “All eyes on sub-4.”
While the race won’t be eligible for an official world record due to pacing conditions, the symbolic impact would be much like Roger Bannister’s famous sub-4 breakthrough in 1954.
Kipyegon’s performance will be streamed live on Nike platforms and Amazon Prime at 8:15 p.m. EAT.
