🏃 RunLetters #8

Happy Friday, runner!! Have you already been out for a jog today? Or is today a rest day, strength day, or maybe a cross-training day?

Whatever it is, this RunLetters is packed with running motivation and inspiration: a world record attempt, a happy runner to follow, an insanely crazy race, a cap giveaway, and a podcast episode to save for your next run.

🚨 Scroll down for the giveaway! 🚨

Let’s go ⤵️

📹 Watchlist: Faith Kipyegon vs. the 4-Minute Mile

Big chance you saw this one pass by somewhere on social media—but you may very well not have seen the full race.

Just yesterday, June 26, 2025, Faith Kipyegon, the reigning Olympic champion and women’s mile world record holder, attempted to run a mile in under four minutes (one of athletics’ most iconic milestones).

The four-minute mile has long been a legendary milestone in track and field. Roger Bannister famously became the first man to break it in 1954. Since then, nearly 2,000 men have achieved the feat, but no woman had ever come close until recent years.

For decades, women were not even allowed to run the mile at the Olympics! The 1500m only became an Olympic event for women in 1972. The women’s mile world record has gradually dropped from the 4:30s to 4:07.64, set by Faith in 2023.

The event yesterday was titled "Breaking4" and it was held in Paris. The whole thing was streamed live.

Nike provided Faith with custom equipment and ideal conditions to maximize her chances, as you can see in the video down below. A big group of pacers (13!) ran with Faith to keep her out of the wind, the wore a special “speed suit”, the “pace lights” on the track guided her pace, and so forth.

Unfortunately, Faith didn’t hit her goal. She finished in 4:06.42, which is faster than her own previous world record of 4:07.64 set in 2023 (though this new time will not be officially recognized as a new world record, due to the use of male pacemakers and the event’s status).

But… that doesn’t make it any less impressive. Seeing the crowd and pacemakers cheer her on in those last seconds gave me goosebumps all over. Quite the event. Quite the effort. Quite the run.

📲 Social Spotlight: Madeleine Ringbom

This week’s spotlight goes to Madeleine Ringbom. A girl who clearly puts a lot of love and effort into her social content and, IMO, deserves a shout-out.

She isn’t a huge influencer with hundreds of thousands of followers, nor did she run an ultra that makes your jaw drop (although, for many of us, her times are still impressive!). Instead, Madeleine is “one of us”, and she’s killing it on Instagram with her content.

Expect fun content. A smile on your face. That’s all you need to know 🙌

🗓 Events & Races: The Taco Bell 50k

If you are looking for a race to test/train your gut, then this race is for you. Maybe.

In my pursuit of crazy races (thank you, Reddit-folk, for giving me so many options), the Taco Bell 50k was brought up.

And this race made it straight into my top 10 “most insane races I’ve ever heard of”. Just look at the rules:

Don’t expect a pretty medal at the end of this race. Instead, be ready for a few days of salads and soup. Before you consider signing up, you may want to watch these race-recap videos from Sage:

And if you are actually interested… Here’s the link to sign up: https://tacobell50k.com/.

🎽 Gear & Gadgets: A Good Running Cap That Doesn’t Break the Bank

Since it’s summer for most of us right now, the time for sunblock and caps has come around again. But let’s be honest—running hats can be damn expensive.

I don’t know about you, but I’m not someone who’ll quickly drop over $50 on a cap. It has to be really special for me to pull out my wallet. Especially since I wear caps mostly for functional reasons—to protect my skin.

So I’m happy to say I’ve found a brand that offers reasonably priced caps with great designs: Buff. Not a new name—they’ve been around for a while. They make all sorts of gear, not just caps, but honestly, their caps are what caught my eye.

And you can win a 5 Panel Go Cap! Simply refer your friends to RunLetters. Every friend that signs up gains you one entry.

➡️ You could share your unique sharing link (see below) in your run club chat

➡️ Or in a group chat with your best friends

➡️ Or simply click on the “click to share” underneath

➡️ Or share your unique link on LinkedIn, in an Instagram post, on Reddit somewhere… wherever your running friends hang out online!

Want to get one either way? Click here to check out their 5 Panel Go Cap and the different colorways.

✨ Wild Card: Listen to This Podcast on Your Next Run

Does the name Randi Zuckerberg ring a bell? It didn’t for me—except for that last name, of course. Yes, Zuckerberg. Randi is Mark’s sister!

But after listening to this podcast episode with her from Runna, that’s probably the last thing you’ll remember about her. You’re more likely to think, “Oh, that woman who’s out there smashing ultras?”

What I personally find inspiring about Randi is how she found running later in life—and how she sees that as a blessing instead of a curse. She went from trying a 5k to running ultramarathons. She’s a best of a woman. Passionate, honest and fun to listen to.

You can listen to this episode on YouTube, as well as on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

🏁 The Finish Line

WHOOO! Smile for the race pic! 📸 Did you stumble or sprint over the finish line today?

Either way, thank you so much for reading this edition of RunLetters. Please make sure to click into some of those videos, links, and vote in the polls!

Have a great weekend and (if on the schedule) awesome long run! 👋

Caroline