While I agree with some of the sentiment in this post, I also think folks are forgeting the fact that NIKE did this with men too! This is less of a woman thing and more of a NIKE thing. Let me explain.
In 2016 NIKE announced the sub 2 hour marathon attempt, which took place in May 2017. People seem to forget just how far of a stretch this was. The world record was 2:02:57 and Kipchoge's PB was 2:03:05. They were asking for more than a 2.5% improvement in his time. This is similar to the 3% improvement they were asking from Kipyegon.
Kipchoge failed to break 2, running 2:00:25 (way closer than Kipyegon got today).
NIKE hyped this sub 2 event up like crazy, and there was similar fluff and theatrics throughout. It was not that different from the Kipyegon event. I think people are misremembering just how much of a ridiculous spectical that event was. Yes there were some differences as the feminist angle was not there, but it was still built up as an inspirational attempt. Another difference is that NIKE had more groundbreaking technology up their sleave that time, but maybe they thought their brah, spikes, and body suit would yield similar gains.
The biggest difference in my opinion between the two attempts is that Kipchoge and his pacing team trained for that event for almost a full year. Kichoge was is exceptional shape. This year, in my opinio,n Kipyegon was in worse shape than she was when she set her record, as it was early in the season, and the 1k showed she was in no better shape than last year early in the season.
If we would have saw a similar amount of preparation, in great conditions, we might have saw a similar failure to the sub 2 project. She may have ran a 4:02 or so, and we could all think it was much closer. But instead they rushed this event and now we think it is extremely far off.
Halfway in, you could clearly the see the difference between an elite man like Grant Fisher (or Stewy McSweyn) and Faith Kipyegon. The entire race Fisher looked like he was JOGGING at 4 minute pace and Faith looked like she was holding on for dear life. It was like a parent playing with a child.
I agree having her surrounded by the men wasn't a good look. They were clearly doing it more comfortably.
To say it looked like 'JOGGING' is misogynistic hyperbole. This type of comparison (look how EASY it was for the men) is just so unhelpful.
Grant Fisher JOGS at 5:30s. His 5k indoor record was 4.05 pace. This was not an easy effort for him, Grant was running today for a mile at his 5k record pace. Of course he can do that, but he was working hard.
No, they looked like they were jogging. hey went from being pacers to trying to be cheerleaders because it became obvious she couldn't do it and were giving her the "it didn't happen but we're still gonna act like it could" act.
This whole thing was stupid. But no one wants to admit it. It did not show any amazing courage or destroy any barriers for women. Faith failed. And that's fine. She was set up for failure with the ridiculous notion she was going to drop 7 seconds from a mile with some fugazi drafting strategy, aerodynamic bras and fancy shoes.
Put her in an elite boys high school mile, and have her compete for the sub 4. She'd have a much better chance at coming close to it,
No, they looked like they were jogging. hey went from being pacers to trying to be cheerleaders because it became obvious she couldn't do it and were giving her the "it didn't happen but we're still gonna act like it could" act.
This whole thing was stupid. But no one wants to admit it. It did not show any amazing courage or destroy any barriers for women. Faith failed. And that's fine. She was set up for failure with the ridiculous notion she was going to drop 7 seconds from a mile with some fugazi drafting strategy, aerodynamic bras and fancy shoes.
Put her in an elite boys high school mile, and have her compete for the sub 4. She'd have a much better chance at coming close to it,
I think after some reflection what irked me into writing this post was that I feel the marketing is focusing on the wrong thing. Nike felt the need to market this as a moonshot after a historical barrier that could easily translate to the common person. Meanwhile, over the course of Faith’s stories career she’s had so many moments that do a much better job showing her stature in the sport but just don’t communicate to the general public as well.
I can remember last year after one of her world records literally the whole field posed with her alongside the clock. This was one of the coolest moments in track and field because it showed both what a dominant athlete Faith is and also what she means to the sport where every one of her competitors has the utmost respect. So instead of having a photo of faith surrounded by a bunch of guys jogging and cheering her on, it was a full field of fastest women in the world happy to share in the greatness that Faith put on display. Again, this is probably too niche a moment to catalyze a wider women’s marketing campaign around but it does make me sad that those moments aren’t valued over these more constructed stunts.
I want to start by saying that there is nothing but respect for what Faith and other top women competing in this sport have done. One of the most wonderful things about track and field is that it is a sport where both men and women’s achievements are celebrated and the competition level for both is extremely high and I would argue that no other sport has a women’s level that is as comparable to the men’s.
But now I have to complain and this may get me called a misogynist or other nasty names. But with this whole sub 4 attempt for Faith, it just felt like one of those marketing stunts where there can be no level of reality. It frustrates me to no end that so much of women’s sports marketing feels it has to engage in fantasies that women can do physically anything a man can (in this case sub 4 but in other campaigns it can be equally outlandish). To me, this is disrespectful because it feels like we have to skirt around the uncomfortable reality in order to “protect” women from it. I think women and their accomplishments in sport should need no such kiddy gloves.
There were two female “pacers” out there today who stayed behind Faith the whole way and then dropped before 800. What was the point? To include some girls! But, again, this to me is disrespectful and purely for fluff! Jenna Reekie and Georgia Bell are phenomenal athletes in their own right and do not need to be shoehorned into “history” so they can be on a Nike Women Instagram post. I think this trend is frustratingly omnipresent in societies’ views on women and how they are constantly held to standards of men (so much talk about pay gap, how many female CEOs, or female billionaires) rather than acknowledging real accomplishments or the differences present and why discrepancies exist. Again, I think it is disrespectful to women to fluff marketing or moving goal posts rather than analyzing and celebrating real accomplishments. Rant over! Discus!
I'm not seeing it. How is this different to Kipchoge's "breaking-2" project? Did you think men were treated and marketed badly during that marketing campaign?
"Sub-4" is not physically equal to a man, since the men's record is 3:43. According to World Athletics, nearly 2100 men have broken 4. I think no one is equating this to men, or denying the reality that women are about 10% slower than men. "Sub-4" is an interesting "round" milestone, and one chosen to be challenging. It's easier to market "breaking-4" than it is "breaking-4.1". Speaking for myself, I would have been impressed with a 4:03 or 4:04, but tend to agree with "rojo" that breaking-4 is still miles away.
