Faith Kipyegon reveals hamstring injury and delays return to racing

Faith Kipyegon has disclosed that a hamstring injury sustained in late May is keeping her out of competition. The three-time Olympic 1500m champion said on Wednesday, August 19, that her recovery has taken longer than expected and that she will give herself time to heal properly.

The Kenyan has not set a date for her return. Her immediate plan is to prioritise her recovery rather than resume racing before she is fully ready, making a cautious comeback the next step in her rehabilitation.

The injury is an unusual interruption for an athlete who has dominated the 1500m for much of the past decade. Kipyegon won Olympic gold at Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, becoming the first woman to win three successive Olympic titles in the event.

She also claimed silver in the 5000m at the Paris Games and retained her 1500m world title at the Tokyo 2025 World Championships. Her latest setback comes after a period in which she continued to set major marks across middle-distance running.

Kipyegon ran 3:48.68 on July 5, 2025, to establish the current 1500m world record. She also owns the mile world record of 4:07.64, set in Monaco, and previously held the 5000m world record with 14:05.20 in Paris.

Her Facebook announcement drew a strong response from the athletics community and supporters. The injury follows another important recovery chapter in her career: after taking a maternity break, she returned to competition in 2018 and went on to add more Olympic titles and world records.