Two-time Olympic 1500m medalist Josh Kerr is aiming to break the world mile record at the Diamond League in London, The Guardian reports.
Kerr competed in two events in the 2026 season. He first ran the two miles, winning silver in 8:07.68 at the US Championships, where he was also the fastest 3000m runner. Kerr then became the world indoor 3000m champion, finishing in 7:35.56.
Kerr is preparing to break Hisham El Guerrouj's 27-year-old world record for the one-mile, set in July 1999 with a time of 3:43.13.
Kerr's current career best in the mile is 3:45.34, set at the Diamond League in Eugene in May 2024. Kerr is the sixth-fastest runner in the history of the mile, and his personal best at this distance rounds out the top 10 best results in the history of the discipline.
Kerr stressed the symbolic significance of the mile for British athletics – which is why he is aiming to set a record in London. Britain's Roger Bannister was the first to run the distance in under four minutes in 1954, and between 1979 and 1993 the world record was invariably held by local athletes – from the current head of World Athletics, Sebastian Coe, to the 1980 Olympic champion, Steve Ovett.
“It's a big goal in my career. It's one of the oldest world records on the track and I think it's one of the most important. It's stood the test of time and deserves respect,” Kerr said of his ambition to become the new world record holder.
“This record needs to be brought home. It's a British record. It's a British distance. So it would be unfair not to do it at home. That's why I can't do it anywhere else.”
The British runner is a two-time Olympic medalist, having won silver at the 2024 Games and bronze at the 2020 Olympics in the 1500m. He was also the world champion in the 1500m (2023) and won the world indoor gold medal in the 3000m twice (2024, 2026).
Instead, Kerr last ran one mile in official competitions in September 2024.
“Given our training numbers, I think this year is a great opportunity to really try [to break that world record] without losing any other opportunities. That's something I can say with confidence. We're going to train the pace, we've been doing it for three or four months, there's a lot going on behind the scenes. The whole season is geared towards that,” Kerr added.
“People [say] sport needs more competition – I don't agree. I think sport needs more moments and reasons to watch it. Now is the time to move towards such an important moment. I have a big goal that I want to achieve. I think it will be very special,” the Briton added.
The Diamond League stage in London will be the 11th in the 2026 season and will take place on July 18.