Josh Kerr ran 3 minutes, 42.66 seconds to break the long‑standing men's mile world record at a Diamond League meet in London on Saturday. He surpassed Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj's 1999 mark of 3 minutes, 43.13 seconds and finished just over three seconds ahead of American Yared Nuguse in 3:45.69. The crowd support as he closed in on the record was “just incredible,” Kerr told the BBC. “It was just me, my shoes and the track,” he said. “I was absolutely deaf in that last 110 meters.” He added, “I didn’t take my foot off the gas… I was like ‘Oh wow, this feels incredible.’”

The mile is not a championship event, yet it has iconic status in track history, with the four‑minute barrier broken in 1954 by another British runner, Roger Bannister. Kerr, 28, had targeted the mile at the Diamond League meet as a main season goal, having set a personal best of 3:45.34 in 2024. He was also a silver medalist in the 1,500 meters at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Kerr’s performance highlights the enduring allure of the mile and showcases his exceptional race‑day execution, cementing his place among the sport’s elite.