Britain’s Josh Kerr set a new world record in the men’s mile at the London Diamond League, ending a 25-year reign held by Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj. The Josh Kerr world record performance saw the Scottish runner finish in 3 minutes 42.66 seconds. As a result, Kerr became the fastest man ever over the mile distance.
The 28-year-old athlete, who trains in the United States, broke El Guerrouj’s previous record of 3:43.13, set in Rome in 1999. Kerr celebrated the achievement in front of a packed crowd at London Stadium. Furthermore, he described the moment as emotional after months of preparation.
After the race, Kerr admitted he felt the pressure before the event because expectations were high. However, he said he remained confident in his training and believed he was capable of running a time in the 3:42 range. Therefore, he focused on staying consistent throughout the race.
Kerr built his entire season around chasing the historic record. He trained for the past eight months at high altitude in Albuquerque, New Mexico. In addition, he credited his coaching team and training partners for helping him reach peak form.
His training partner, Brannon Kidder, and Slovenia’s Zan Rudolph paced the race perfectly. Meanwhile, Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse stayed close to Kerr until the final 200 meters. The British runner then accelerated strongly to create a decisive gap before the finish.
Nearly 60,000 spectators watched Kerr produce a remarkable final lap. The crowd erupted in celebration as he crossed the finish line and punched the air in delight. Moreover, Kerr later described the final stretch as one of the loudest moments of his career.
Kerr already held the British mile record and won Olympic silver in the 1,500 meters. He has also claimed two World Indoor 3,000-meter titles. Consequently, the latest victory further strengthens his place among Britain’s greatest middle-distance runners.
The historic Josh Kerr world record adds another milestone to Britain’s rich athletics history. Finally, World Athletics President Sebastian Coe presented Kerr with a $50,000 prize and praised his remarkable achievement after the record-breaking performance.
