Meet the Dream Team Behind Faith Kipyegon's Breaking4 Attempt

CARRIE DIMOFF
Senior Manager, Program Management, Innovation Footwear
Breaking4: Footwear Lead

A former U.S. Olympic Trials marathoner, Carrie Dimoff knows what it means to compete at the highest level. Now leading footwear innovation for Nike’s fastest athletes, Dimoff brings that sharp dual lens to Breaking4, overseeing the design and development of Kipyegon’s race-day spike. Dimoff helped drive the vision for Kipyegon’s ideal spike from concept to execution, pushing bold ideas, navigating rapid turnarounds and keeping every decision laser-focused on one thing: making Kipyegon faster.

From the moment Faith broke the world record in Monaco, there was this incredible energy — this sense that something bigger was beginning. I’ll never forget the feeling in the stadium. It was electric. Everyone was amazed but already starting to wonder: Could this be the beginning of the sub-4-minute mile for women?

When I heard that Faith was going to go for it and that we were going to support her, I just thought, Yes, let’s go. Faith inspires the global community of women not just with her speed, but with the way she carries herself. You could see it even in Monaco, the way her competitors rallied around her. She’s someone everyone can get behind.

This project felt different from the start. The integration across Nike with footwear, apparel, science, pacing — it’s been a true all-in effort. 

As we considered her footwear, we kept asking, Is this better than what she already has? Is it faster? Is it more confident? If it wasn’t, we scrapped it. 

Faith’s boldness makes us bolder too. She’s pushing the edge of human performance, and in doing that, she has challenged us to push past old limits too.

If she crosses the line in under 4 minutes, it won’t just be a new world record. It’ll be a new understanding of what’s possible for women in sport.

BRETT KIRBY
Principal, Scientist-Applied Performance Innovation
Breaking4: Performance Integration Lead

Brett Kirby has spent his career turning gutsy goals into executable plans. As a leader behind Breaking2 — the Nike-backed project that helped fuel Eliud Kipchoge to run a sub-2-hour marathon — he’s no stranger to moonshots. For Breaking4, Kirby has helped steer the science and systems thinking that underpin the entire effort, bridging data, testing and design to help Kipyegon gain every possible edge — and make history.

When I first heard about Faith trying to break the 4-minute mile, I honestly paused. I thought, Wait, what? This doesn’t seem possible. It felt so far away from anything we thought was achievable. But then I stopped and thought about who we were talking about: Faith Kipyegon. And suddenly, it shifted. This was the right moment, the right athlete. It was easy to get excited.

From there, it became about commitment. One thing I’ve learned over and over, especially from projects like Breaking2, is that when you commit to something big, creativity starts to flow. Once you draw that line in the sand, you move differently. You stretch into new ideas, you collaborate more deeply, you make the impossible feel within reach.

This project didn’t come with a road map, and that’s actually what made it great. This whole effort thrives because there was no script. I love the projects with question marks, the ones that leave room for discovery. Every day, it was about balancing what we could learn with what we had to deliver. Finding the art between exploration and execution.

Faith’s drive pulled all of us higher. Watching how seriously she respected the magnitude of this goal made us want to show up better too. I found myself pushing harder, thinking differently, reaching further. It became a collective effort to match the bar she was setting.

When I picture her stepping onto that track in Paris, I just hope she feels light. At ease. Like the moment is hers and her body and mind are in perfect harmony.

If she breaks that barrier — it won’t just belong to her. It’ll belong to everyone who is dreaming bigger because they saw it happen.

JANETT NICHOL
Vice President of Innovation
Breaking4: Nike FlyWeb Lead

When Janett Nichol got the call about Breaking4, she saw a powerful opportunity to help shape a historic moment through design and innovation. A seasoned leader in Nike Innovation with experience supporting intrepid goals like Eliud Kipchoge’s sub-2-hour marathon, Nichol knew the playbook for moonshot moments didn’t exist. But she also knew what it took to build one from scratch. Her team dove headfirst into crafting a race-day system for Kipyegon, strategizing a full-body solution down to the smallest detail — and including a bra made from Nike’s newest material innovation.

We had to build something game-changing, and every second counted. I knew we’d need to move at a speed that rivaled Faith’s own. So we asked ourselves, What do we have in our arsenal that could serve her? How can we make it better — fast?

One of those innovations was Nike FlyWeb. We’d been developing it, but this was the first time it would be tested on the world stage, and by using it to create a one-of-one bra. Faith gave us a rare opportunity: She would not only wear it — she’d help us evolve it. Her feedback became fuel. We obsessed everything from sweat absorption to engineered breathability to lightness to support. It needed to feel like a second skin and still deliver on every demand of elite performance.

Every improvement she inspired will ripple forward into future designs, not just for her but for every woman who trains, competes and dreams. That’s the power of a breakthrough material like this.

Faith trusts us, and we take that responsibility seriously. Debuting Nike FlyWeb was about more than making a bra more functional. It had to be beautiful. Emotive. A visual representation of strength and grace. 

Paris will be Faith’s moment. We don’t get to cross the finish line with her. But I’ll be feeling every stride, knowing our team gave everything to help her get there. It’s been the honor of a lifetime.

AMY JONES VATERLAUS
VP, Women’s Research, Nike Sport Research Lab
Breaking4: Innovation Lead

With a background in applied robotics and two decades of experience driving innovation at the intersection of science and sport, Amy Jones Vaterlaus thrives in high-stakes, no-road-map challenges. For Breaking4, she’s played a central unifying role, aligning teams across apparel, footwear and performance science as priorities shift and insights emerge. Whether pivoting strategy or rethinking assumptions, Vaterlaus has helped the team stay nimble, all in service of building a cohesive system designed to give Kipyegon every possible edge.

Some projects push your thinking. Some stay with you long after they’re over. From the moment I joined this one, I knew it would be both.

Faith’s dream wasn’t just about one race or one goal. It was about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible — for herself, for women in sport, for anyone chasing something bigger than themselves. That’s the kind of energy that pulls you in completely.

When I first heard about Breaking4, I didn’t hesitate for a second. My immediate reaction was, We’re in. What do we need to do? I recognized right away how significant, as well as how challenging, it would be. But I also knew this was exactly the kind of audacious innovation challenge Nike was made for. And this is what I personally love to do.

My role was to conduct — to bring together all these brilliant, specialized minds across footwear, apparel, performance science and more. Not just to organize them, but to help make the sum greater than the parts. Stay flexible. Stay agile. Make sure we were honest about what was working and what wasn’t — and willing to pivot when we needed to.

We had to pivot a lot. Pacing started as the big lever, and then apparel took on an even bigger role. That level of change challenged me as a leader. Learning to pause, reassess and sometimes change direction when everything in you wants to keep charging forward.

Faith’s courage pushed me to think about my own edges too. Am I using my voice enough? Am I pushing beyond this one moment? This isn’t just a project. It’s a legacy. It’s part of a larger movement to close gaps in women’s performance knowledge and change what’s possible in sport.

When Faith steps onto that track, I hope she feels it all — the pride, the love, the full force of a global community standing behind her. And I know I’ll be somewhere nearby, probably crying, feeling honored just to have been a part of it.

As Kipyegon’s longtime Nike Sports Marketing rep and close friend, Simon Bairu has had a front-row seat to nearly every milestone of Kipyegon’s professional journey. A former professional distance runner himself, Bairu knows exactly how rare an athlete like Kipyegon is, and he’s seen firsthand how powerful her presence can be. From supporting her day-to-day to championing her biggest ambitions, his role is part logistics, part advocacy — and all heart.

When Faith first decided to go after the sub-4-minute mile, I wasn’t surprised. That’s just who she is. She doesn’t tiptoe toward greatness — she runs straight at it. She had already told us this would be her final year focusing on the 1,500, and she wanted to leave a mark. Not just for herself but for every woman chasing something that’s never been done.

This is one of those bold, uncertain projects that excites you because you know it’s going to mean something far beyond sport. The moment she said she wanted to try, everyone at Nike came together and asked, How do we help get her there? That’s what we do at our best.

I’ve watched how hard she works, how much she sacrifices, how deeply she cares. It pushes me to be better too. My job is to meet her where she is and then help her get where she wants to go. That’s what this role is really about. Supporting her in the big moments, sure, but also in all the little ones that nobody sees.

Faith is a fierce competitor, but she also has a sharp, witty side that not everybody gets to see. When she lets her guard down, there’s an ease and playfulness that comes through. I feel lucky to be one of the people she shares that with.

In Paris, the gear will be perfect, the science will be in place — but I’ll just be thinking about how proud I am. I first saw her race in Rio when she won gold, and now she’s here, a champion, a mother, a leader and an ambassador who’s redefining what women are capable of. That moment will belong to her, no matter what the clock says.

When she breaks 4, she won’t just set a record. She’ll change what every girl watching thinks is possible. I don’t think she can do it — I know she will.

LISA GIBSON
Senior Product Manager, Innovation
Breaking4: Apparel Lead

A former Olympic water polo player for Great Britain, Lisa Gibson knows what elite competition demands both physically and mentally. Now leading apparel innovation at Nike, she brought that athlete’s mindset to Breaking4, guiding the creation of Kipyegon’s race-day speed suit. From early prototyping to final design, Gibson focused on performance, comfort and freedom of movement, building trust athlete to athlete.

When I first heard about Breaking4, my reaction was awe and inspiration. What an incredible endeavor, a chance to truly change the game for women’s sport. Whether Faith breaks the 4-minute mile or not, her bravery to even attempt it is monumental. Dream big. Don’t let fear hold you back. That’s what she’s showing the world — and that’s what we wanted to stand behind.

My role wasn’t about being the expert in materials or design. It was about making sure we moved together as one team toward a common vision: to support Faith in every way possible. We grounded ourselves in her voice from day one. It’s not just about creating performance innovation. It’s about listening. Making sure Faith knew: We hear you. We’re building for you.

We obsessed every detail. Every graphic, every material choice, every seam was pushed and tested. If something felt even slightly restrictive to her, like a high neckline, we scrapped it immediately. We had to create something that moved in complete synergy with her body. Freedom of movement became our North Star. Form had to follow function, and Faith’s comfort had to lead everything.

Breaking assumptions became our daily work. We challenged ourselves constantly: What if apparel, not footwear, could be the game-changer? How far could we push aerodynamics without sacrificing how Faith felt when she raced? When you bring that many brilliant minds together — scientists, designers, engineers — and you stay united in purpose, that’s where the real magic happens.

I want Faith to feel unstoppable — powerful, confident, ready. I hope she feels how much heart, energy and belief we’ve poured into this for her. She’s already changed sport forever. Now it’s time to show the world.