Who Is Josh Kerr? Scottish Olympian Shatters 27-Year-Old World Record for Fastest Mile at London Stadium as 60K Fans Cheer His Feat

Great Britain’s Josh Kerr produced a robust performance at the London Stadium on Saturday, breaking the 27-year-old world record for the fastest mile. Kerr, 28, was cheered on by over 60,000 people at the London Diamond League as he crossed the finish line in 3 minutes 42.66 seconds, eclipsing Hicham El Guerrouj’s 27-year-old world record by half a second.

Kerr had set his sights on a 222-second mile before the race, and he delivered on that ambition, becoming the first British athlete to hold the world record in the event. El Guerrouj set the previous world record of 3 minutes 43.13 seconds in 1999, when Kerr, was one year old.

On Top of the World

Kerr, the 2023 world 1500-meter champion, announced in March that he wanted to break El Guerrouj’s long-standing record on home soil. To help achieve that goal, he even built parts of his training around the target time, including recovery ice baths lasting 222 seconds.

“It’s very overwhelming with the amount of hype [I created].

“It’s silly to call [the attempt] that early because there’s a lot of things which can go wrong, but I am surrounded by amazing people and was able to stay consistent and put the work in,” Kerr told BBC Sport.

“If I am to leave my mark on this sport as a British legend, following in the footsteps of the legends before me, I have to deliver performances like this.”

“Those performances take every single part of you, every single part of your team. The amount of work behind the scenes is incredible. Today, it was a performance I was able to bring out – I just hoped it would be a little bit faster!”

Kerr, who received a $42,000 bonus for breaking the world record, also slashed nearly three seconds off his personal best. The mark had stood unchallenged since 1999.

He lined up alongside American Yared Nuguse, fourth on the all-time list and one of the strongest challengers to the Olympic silver medalist’s record bid.

Determined Performance

Despite the competition, Kerr delivered when it mattered most. He was guided through the early stages by two pacemakers, both of whom stepped aside after the 1,000-meter mark. His 1,500-meter split was quicker than his own British record for that distance, but he kept pushing all the way to the finish.

As he crossed the line, Kerr threw his arms into the air in celebration and punched the air in delight while the crowd rose to its feet to applaud his historic achievement.

Kerr has never been shy about setting ambitious goals. Four months before his record-breaking run, he said that he planned to break the mile world record in London. The achievement marks a remarkable comeback after his hopes of winning gold at last September’s World Championships in Tokyo were dashed by a calf injury.

His coach, Danny Mackey, later revealed that the record attempt had been part of the plan for months, with the pair working tirelessly to turn that goal into reality.

Kerr also gave fans a behind-the-scenes look at his preparation through a documentary series called Project 222, named after the 222 seconds he needed to beat the world record. The series ended with a 1,200-meter time trial, in which Kerr ran 2 minutes 42.45 seconds, suggesting he was on track to make history with just over a minute left to cover the final 400 meters.

For the attempt, he wore specially designed racing spikes and a custom speed suit created by his sponsor, Brooks. The one-piece suit featured laser-cut perforations to improve airflow in the July heat and reduce drag, while the customized spikes included a carbon plate, an aggressive rocker design for extra propulsion, and lightweight titanium pins.

Kerr finished the race remarkably, covering each of the final three 100-meter splits in 13.7 seconds after passing the 1,200-meter mark in 2 minutes 46.5 seconds.

Over the past five years, Kerr has established himself as one of athletics’ biggest stars, earning a reputation for his confidence and willingness to challenge the sport’s top runners, including Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

He has won three world titles and reached the Olympic podium twice. One of his most memorable victories came at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, where he edged Ingebrigtsen to win the 1,500-meter title.

Kerr’s next competition will be the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next month, where he will look to build on this historic performance.

The first athlete to break the four-minute mile was Sir Roger Bannister, who ran 3 minutes 59.4 seconds in Oxford in 1954.