Josh Kerr breaks men's mile world record with 3:42.66 in London

British runner Josh Kerr set a new men's mile world record of 3 minutes, 42.66 seconds at the London Diamond League on Saturday, breaking Hicham El Guerrouj's mark of 3 minutes, 43.13 seconds that had stood since 1999. The 28-year-old from Edinburgh, competing in front of a sell-out crowd of 60,000 at London Stadium, finished just over three seconds ahead of American Yared Nuguse, who ran 3:45.69.

Kerr had publicly committed to the record attempt since March, calling the bid "Project 222" to reflect his goal of shaving seconds from the previous record. His preparation was meticulous, including custom-designed spikes, aerodynamic race kit provided by his Brooks sponsor, and visualisation exercises such as writing "I ran 3.42 at the London Diamond League. July 18th, 2026" in his notebook daily. Ice bath sessions lasted precisely three minutes and 42 seconds. The runner documented much of his training on YouTube, bringing significant public attention to his attempt.

Kerr's performance marked him as the seventh British athlete to hold the men's mile world record and the first since Steve Cram in 1985. The 2023 world 1,500-metre champion and 2024 Paris Olympics silver medallist described the crowd support as "just incredible" and said that in the final 110 metres, he was "absolutely deaf" to external noise. He noted that despite slowing from his top speed, he felt as though he was gliding and managed to cross the line with time to spare.

The mile, though not an Olympic or World Championships event, holds iconic status in track history. The four-minute barrier was first broken in 1954 by another British runner, Roger Bannister. Kerr's previous personal best was 3:45.34, set in 2024. The record attempt came in a track season without Olympics or world championships, making the Diamond League meet his primary target.