British athlete Josh Kerr achieved a remarkable feat on Saturday by setting a new men’s mile world record. He completed the mile in 3 minutes, 42.66 seconds during the London Diamond League. This run broke Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj’s long-standing record of 3:43.13, which had remained unbeaten since 1999 in Rome, as reported by The Associated Press.
Kerr celebrated his achievement with a lap at London Stadium, solidifying his place in track and field history. The 28-year-old’s performance surpassed his competitors, finishing more than three seconds ahead of American Yared Nuguse, who came in at 3:45.69, and Britain’s Jake Heyward, who achieved a personal best of 3:46.73 as reported by World Athletics.
“History made by Josh Kerr!” declared the Diamond League’s official account.
On social media, reactions were abundant. Team Scotland praised Kerr, saying, “A new world record. Congratulations to Josh Kerr, breaking the long-standing mile world record with an incredible run of 3:42.66. What an achievement.” The Olympic Games’ account echoed the sentiment, stating, “History made. Great Britain’s Josh Kerr roars to a world record in the men’s mile, snapping a 27-year record in 3:42.66 at the London Diamond League.”
The London Diamond League mile was a primary goal for Kerr this season, a decision independent of the Olympics or World Championships, as noted by AP. Speaking with BBC Sport after the race, Kerr acknowledged the crowd’s energy in the stadium that boosted him in the final stretch. “It was just me, my shoes, and the track,” he shared. “I was deaf in that last 110 meters.”
Kerr reflected on the risks of publicly setting his sights on the record months beforehand, telling BBC Sport, “It’s overwhelming with the hype [I created]. It’s silly to call [the attempt] that early because many things can go wrong, but I had amazing support and stayed consistent with my efforts.”
Kerr hopes this achievement will define his legacy in British athletics. “To leave my mark on this sport as a British legend, I have to deliver performances like this,” he said. “Behind every performance is incredible work from myself and my team. Today I managed to deliver that performance.”
Before his professional career, Kerr excelled at the University of New Mexico, securing three NCAA titles and eight Mountain West championships. He set the collegiate record in the 1,500 meters, according to the school’s athletics website. His latest performance improved his previous personal-best mile time of 3:45.34 by nearly three seconds, marking a new chapter in track and field records.