British athlete Josh Kerr broke the 27-year-old men's mile world record at the London Diamond League, finishing in 3:42.66.
Key facts
- •Josh Kerr finished the mile in 3:42.66, breaking the previous record by 0.47 seconds.
- •The previous world record of 3:43.13 had been held by Hicham El Guerrouj since 1999.
- •Kerr is the seventh British athlete to hold the men's mile world record.
- •The race took place at the London Stadium in front of a capacity crowd of 60,000 spectators.
- •Kerr announced his goal to break the record four months prior to the event.
Great Britain's Josh Kerr set a new men's mile world record at the London Diamond League, crossing the finish line in three minutes and 42.66 seconds. The 28-year-old surpassed the previous record of 3:43.13, held by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj since 1999, by nearly half a second. Kerr, who had publicly announced his intention to break the record in March, performed before a sell-out crowd of 60,000 at London Stadium.
By the numbers
A Long-Planned Achievement
Kerr had focused his entire season on this specific race, even documenting his goal in a notebook daily and timing his ice baths to match the target duration. His preparation included specialized aerodynamic equipment and custom spikes provided by his sponsor, Brooks. During the race, he was assisted by two pacemakers, including his training partner Brannon Kidder, who dropped out after the 1,000-meter mark, leaving Kerr to finish the final portion of the race alone.
Historic Context
With this performance, Kerr became the seventh British athlete to hold the mile world record and the first to do so since Steve Cram in 1985. The record he broke had stood for 27 years. Kerr, a five-time global medallist, previously held a personal best of 3:45.34. Following the race, he expressed that the achievement was the result of consistent work and the support of his team.
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This article was independently rewritten by ManyPress editorial AI from reporting originally published by BBC Sport, Guardian Sport.
