British athlete Josh Kerr has made history by breaking the men's one mile world record with a sensational performance at the London Diamond League. The 28-year-old Scot stunned the crowd at the London Stadium, crossing the finish line in an astonishing 3:42.66. This incredible time eclipsed the long-standing record of 3:43.13, set by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999, by nearly half a second.
The 2023 world 1,500m champion had openly declared his ambition to rewrite the record books back in March, capitalising on a year without major global championships. His victory in London saw him outpace strong competition, including USA's Olympic medallist Yared Nuguse, who finished second in 3:45.69, and fellow Briton Jake Heyward, who secured third place with a personal best of 3:46.73.
Kerr's record-breaking run also delivered a new British 1,500m record. His split time of 3:27.51 during the mile race improved upon his previous national best of 3:27.79. The tension was palpable with 400 metres remaining, as Kerr needed a sub-57 second final lap from a 2:46.39 split to achieve history. He powered through, pulling away from Nuguse and igniting the delighted London Stadium crowd, which included World Athletics President and former mile world record holder, Sebastian Coe.
Reflecting on his achievement, Kerr told BBC Sport, "It's very overwhelming with the amount of hype. It's silly to call it that early because there's a lot of things which can go wrong but I am surrounded by amazing people and was just able to stay consistent, put the work in, and I knew I had 3:42 in me." He added, "If I'm to leave my mark on this sport as a British legend, with the legends behind me and following in their footsteps, I have to put in those performances."
The build-up to the record attempt was extensively documented through Kerr's YouTube series, which chronicled his rigorous training regimen. This included a 1,200m time trial, completed in an impressive 2:42.45, demonstrating his readiness for the challenge. Athletics pundit Steve Cram praised Kerr, stating, "I have never seen Josh Kerr in such great shape. He looks so conditioned but training is one thing - to step up and do what everyone expects of you is special."
Attention now turns to Kerr's recovery before his next major challenge: a highly anticipated one mile race at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. He is expected to face strong competition from compatriot Jake Wightman and Australian talent Cameron Myers as he vies for gold.