Middle-distance star Faith Kipyegon has spoken out after suffering her first track defeat in more than five years during the women's mile at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon.
The multiple Olympic and world champion finished third in a highly competitive race after revealing that she has been managing a hamstring injury in recent months.
Taking to social media after the race, Kipyegon explained the challenge she has been facing while reassuring fans that she is making steady progress.
"As athletes, we often deal with challenges you can’t always see from the outside. Since Shanghai, I’ve been dealing with a hamstring injury, but the last two weeks have been a step in the right direction," she wrote.
The women's mile was won by American Nikki Hiltz, who clocked a world-leading 4:17.49; Kenya's Dorcus Ewoi finished second in 4:17.62, while Kipyegon crossed the line third in 4:17.80.
Read More
Despite not extending her winning streak, Kipyegon said she was determined to compete at the iconic Hayward Field and remains focused on returning to her best form.
"I didn’t want to miss Nike Prefontaine Classic and I didn’t want to miss competing in the magic of Hayward Field. From here we keep building, step by step, towards a strong second half of the season," she added.
Elsewhere, marathon star Sabastian Sawe has been confirmed for the 2026 BMW Berlin Marathon, where he will return to defend his title.
He heads into the September 27 race in strong form after his victory in London, where he delivered a sub-two-hour performance, raising expectations ahead of Berlin.
Sawe has now gone four-for-four in marathon races, including triumphs in Valencia, London, and last year’s Berlin Marathon.
Notably, the 31-year-old claimed the Berlin title in 2025 with a time of 2:02:16 despite unusually hot conditions of around 25°C.
In a statement on Wednesday, May 13, the BMW Berlin Marathon confirmed that thousands of athletes from around the world are expected to participate in this year’s edition.
"At this year’s BMW BERLIN-MARATHON, almost 80,000 participants from 160 nations are expected including runners, wheelchair athletes, hands cyclists and skaters," the organization said.
Sawe is expected to compete in Adidas’ Adizero Adios Pro Evo 3 as fans anticipate another potential record attempt on the historic course
Speaking ahead of the race, he said he is focused on preparation and delivering his best possible performance on race day.
"After coming off my win in London and sub-2 performance, I can only say that, like always, I plan to prepare myself to the best of my ability and to come to Berlin to honor this great event and organization which have invited me, and to run as well and fast as possible. Then on the day we will see what will happen," Sawe stated.
