Faith Kipyegon

Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon, born on 10 January 1994, is a Kenyan middle- and long-distance runner and the most dominant 1500 metres runner in history. She is the world record holder in the 1500 metres and the mile, and the only athlete to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 1500 m, achieving the feat at the 2016 Rio, 2020 Tokyo, and 2024 Paris Games, where she also set a new Olympic record.

Kipyegon has won the 1500 metres at the 2017, 2022, 2023, and 2025 World Championships, as well as the 5000 metres title at the 2023 World Championships. She also earned an Olympic silver medal in the 5000 m at the 2024 Paris Games. As a junior, she won gold at the 2011 and 2013 World Cross Country Championships, the 2011 World Youth Championships, and the 2012 World Junior Championships, making her one of only eleven athletes to win world titles at the youth, junior, and senior levels.

Nicknamed the "smiling destroyer," Kipyegon was named among the Top 100 most influential Africans by New African magazine in 2017. In November 2024, the University of Eldoret conferred an Honorary Doctorate of Education upon her in recognition of her achievements and character.