Kerr crushes longest-standing Mile world record!
“It was just me, my shoes and the track. I was absolutely deaf in that last 110 meters.”
From World Athletics
LONDON - On Saturday afternoon, Great Britain’s Josh Kerr achieved his much-publicized goal of breaking the longest-standing Mile world record with a stunning, well-paced 3:42.66 performance at the Novuna London Athletics Meet, the 11th stop on the 2026 Diamond League.
Kerr, 28, attacked the record in the Emsley Carr Mile as part of ‘Project 222’ – the number of seconds he hoped to complete the distance in to improve on the world record set by Hicham El Guerrouj in Rome in 1999.
And he did so impressively – the 2023 World 1500m champion becoming the first athlete to break 3:43, improving on El Guerrouj’s 3:43.13 set 27 years ago.
“It was just me, my shoes and the track," he recounted to the Associated Press. “I was absolutely deaf in that last 110 meters.
“I didn't take my foot off the gas," he continued, “but ... I started to glide and I was like ‘oh wow this feels incredible.’ It's incredible because I'm slowing down. So, I was like ‘I better get to the line.’ So, crossing the finish line, seeing 42-something — anything — was my goal, so it was great.”
Kerr was paced by his training partner Brannon Kidder and Žan Rudolf, and Kidder hit 400 meters on world record tempo in 54.75. Kidder led through 800m in 1:50.63 before the pacemakers stepped aside and Kerr reached 1200m in 2:46.39, roared on by the 60,000-strong London Stadium crowd. Kerr then hit 1500m in 3:27.62 – faster than his British record for the distance.
Kerr had been tracked by fellow Olympic 1500m medalist and USA’s Yared Nuguse, but Nuguse couldn’t stick with the closing pace and finished second in 3:45.69.
Great Britain’s Jake Heyward was third in a PR of 3:46.73 and Robert Farken finished fourth in a German record of 3:46.82, and a record four men went sub-3:47. Overall, eight of the 10 finishers set personal records. Bravo, Josh Kerr!
Mile world record progression HERE.
CREDIT: Dan Vernon for Diamond League AG
