UK’s Josh Kerr smashes longstanding world mile record in London
Josh Kerr has shattered the 27-year-old world mile record at the London Diamond League, shaving almost three seconds off his own personal best in the
Josh Kerr has shattered the 27-year-old world mile record at the London Diamond League, shaving almost three seconds off his own personal best in the process. The 28-year-old Briton, roared on by a capacity 60,000 crowd at London Stadium on Saturday, ran a time of three minutes 42.66 seconds to break Hicham El Guerrouj’s longstanding mark by 0.47 seconds. As part of his “Project 222”, Kerr had targeted a sub-223-second race, and with Saturday’s run he became the sixth Briton to hold the mile record. El Guerrouj set his world record in 1999 when Kerr was only one year old. Kerr said the race had been “very overwhelming. There was a lot of hype.” “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 said. “I nearly lost it there at the end, but I got over the line.” The 2023 world 1,500-metre champion said in March he would target the Moroccan’s record, building 222-second ice-bath recoveries into his training. “I am lucky to be able to string the training together,” said Kerr, based at his high-altitude home in Albuquerque, New Mexico. “It felt like I had a kitchen full of incredible chefs, and they are like, ‘What the heck are we going to make?’ and this is the dish I want to make, so let’s go to work and get the world record.” A two-time world indoor 3,000-metre winner, Kerr was paced to perfection by his training partner Brannon Kidder and Slovenian Zan Rudolph.
Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse, the North American record holder and fourth in the all-time mile list, clung on to Kerr until the final 200 metres (656 feet). ‘Incredible’ last lap The Scot then put on the afterburners in front of a near 60,000-capacity crowd at a raucous stadium built for the 2012 London Olympics. He roared through the line, punching the air in ecstasy, the exultant crowd on their feet in a deafening welcome for their new hero. “The last lap was incredible,” Kerr said. “I was deaf in the last 110 metres [360 feet]!” Before El Guerrouj installed himself as world record holder, British milers were an institution on the track. Roger Bannister was the first man to run a sub-four-minute mile in 1954. Then came middle-distance legends Steve Ovett, Sebastian Coe and Steve Cram, who dominated the event from 1979-93. “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,” Kerr said. “Those performances take every single part of you, every single part of your team, and the amount of work behind the scenes for me is incredible. “Today, it was a performance I was able to bring out – I just hoped it would be a little bit faster!” World Athletics President Sebastian Coe was on hand to present Kerr with a cheque for $50,000 and a book on winning milers.
The BriefWire