When the story of women’s middle-distance running great is told, a chapter will certainly be dedicated to Faith Kipyegon.

The Kenyan athletics superstar is the first woman to win four 1500m titles at the Track and Field World Championships.

It’s been a stellar rise for the girl who used to run barefoot in primary school. Her first breakthrough was winning the 2011 World Cross Country junior race. She went on to win the junior race again in 2013 in Bydgoszcz.

The teenager also ruled the track, claiming titles at the 2011 World U18 and 2012 World U20 Championships in the 1500m.

But Kipyegon's senior course really took off after the London 2012 Games.

The then 18-year-old may have slipped under the radar at her first Games as she never made it past her qualifying race. But that Olympic experience shaped her budding career.

At her debut World championships in 2013 in Moscow, she finished fifth. And since Beijing 2015, Kipyegon has stood on the podium four times, twice as the world champion (2017 & 2022).