Rachel Bachman

New York

Senior Sports Reporter at The Wall Street Journal

Senior sports reporter, @WSJ. @SJI_Update alum.

Articles

Can a Woman Run a Four-Minute Mile?

2 days ago | magzter.com | Rachel Bachman

Try GOLD - Free The Wall Street Journal | June 26, 2025 Faith Kipyegon, the world-record holder, will attempt to break the barrier this week. She'll be getting plenty of help. More than 70 years ago, Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes. And, as runners continued to obsess over the mark, several thousand more followed in his wake. This story is from the June 26, 2025 edition of The Wall Street Journal.
Can a Woman Run a Four-Minute Mile?

2 days ago | wsj.com | Rachel Bachman

More than 70 years ago, Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes. And, as runners continued to obsess over the mark, several thousand more followed in his wake. But all of them had one thing in common: They were men. Now, for the first time, a woman is taking aim at a 4-minute mile. Faith Kipyegon, a three-time Olympic champion from Kenya, will make her attempt at the previously unimaginable target on Thursday in a closed-course event at the Stade Charléty in Paris.
Can a woman run a four-minute mile?

2 days ago | livemint.com | Rachel Bachman

Summary Faith Kipyegon, the world-record holder, will attempt to break the barrier this week. She’ll be getting plenty of help. This is a Mint Premium article gifted to you. Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. More than 70 years ago, Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes. And, as runners continued to obsess over the mark, several thousand more followed in his wake. But all of them had one thing in common: They were men.
Can a Woman Run a Four-Minute Mile?

2 days ago | on.wsj.com | Rachel Bachman

More than 70 years ago, Roger Bannister became the first person to run a mile in under 4 minutes. And, as runners continued to obsess over the mark, several thousand more followed in his wake. But all of them had one thing in common: They were men. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
Landmark House v. NCAA Settlement Approved by Judge, Allowing Colleges to Pay Athletes

3 weeks ago | wsj.com | Louise Radnofsky |Laine Higgins |Rachel Bachman

The deal will give backpay to some, as well as creating a system in which each Division I school will be able to distribute roughly $20 million a year to their athletes. Schools are poised to begin implementing the new model this fall. The decision has been months in the making, drawn out in its final weeks by the judge’s insistence that the NCAA find a way to stop current athletes from losing their roster spots.
The SEC Launches Its Latest College Sports Power Grab

4 weeks ago | wsj.com | Rachel Bachman

As the sport braces for a summer of upheaval, college football’s richest conferences are making a play for more voting power and more guaranteed playoff spotsThis was already shaping up to be a seismic summer for college sports. For weeks, officials have been bracing for a multibillion-dollar antitrust settlement that will launch the sport into a new era in which colleges will share revenue with the athletes who help generate it. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
She’s Softball’s First $1 Million Pitcher-and She Could Be the Last

1 month ago | wsj.com | Rachel Bachman |Laine Higgins

NiJaree Canady’s transfer from Stanford landed her a seven-figure payday and has Texas Tech in an NCAA softball super regional. But lucrative deals like hers could soon be doomed. The Texas Tech softball team is just two wins away from the Women’s College World Series for one spectacular reason. It has a pitcher worth $1 million. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8
The Woman Who Got Fans to Pay $3,900 for a WNBA Ticket

1 month ago | wsj.com | Rachel Bachman

When Jess Smith took over as president of Golden State’s WNBA expansion franchise in early 2024, fans approached her with one request: Please make it cool. “They wanted the premier sports experience—in women’s sports,” Smith said. No minor-league vibes. No being overshadowed by the men’s team. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8Subscribe NowAlready a subscriber?
The Rapid Rise of ‘Illegal’ Running Shoes

1 month ago | wsj.com | Rachel Bachman

More runners are going for models with huge, cushy soles—even though some run afoul of racing rulesWhen a new breed of super shoes hit the distance-running scene nearly a decade ago, they turned the sport on its head. No one was prepared for the Nike shoes with chunky soles injected with a carbon-fiber plate to suddenly make runners more efficient and so much faster. As other brands scrambled to catch up, world records were tumbling left and right. Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
The Rapid Rise of ‘Illegal’ Running Shoes

1 month ago | wsj.com | Rachel Bachman

The governing body of running, World Athletics, scrambled to rein in the Frankenshoes. One rule capped a shoe’s sole thickness, or “stack height,” at 40 millimeters—about 1.6 inches. But recently, something strange has started to happen. Shoe companies started going over that limit, again and again, on purpose. Soles are now rising like cheese souffles, and runners are snapping up the super-sized shoes—even if they carry the risk of being disqualified from races.