Josh Kerr broke the 27-year-old world mile record at London Stadium on Saturday, running three minutes 42.66 seconds in front of a capacity crowd of 60,000.
The 28-year-old Brit shaved 0.47 seconds off Hicham El Guerrouj's mark of three minutes 43.13 seconds, set back in 1999 when Kerr was just one year old.
Kerr had spent months telling anyone who would listen that he wanted this record. In March, he announced his plan to break El Guerrouj's time on home soil, and he built his training around a target of 222 seconds.
He hit it. The 2023 world 1500m champion crossed the line, punched the air and lifted his arms as the crowd rose to their feet.
Photo: dailymail.com
"It's very overwhelming with the amount of hype [I created]," Kerr told BBC Sport.
"It's silly to call [the attempt] that early because there's a lot of things which can go wrong, but I am surrounded by amazing people and was able to stay consistent and put the work in."
The run made him the sixth British athlete in history to hold the record for the distance. He was handed a cheque for £38,000 for breaking it, and he took nearly three seconds off his own personal best.
Photo: dailymail.com
Kerr set off fast with the help of two pacemakers, both of whom dropped out by the 1,000-metre mark. His first 1,500m were quicker than his own British record for that distance.
American Yared Nuguse, fourth on the all-time list, lined up alongside him. Kerr came through to win.
"If I am to leave my mark on this sport as a British legend, following in the footsteps of the legends behind me, I have to put in those performances," he said.
Photo: dailymail.com
He described the build-up in unusual terms after the race.
"It felt like I had a kitchen full of amazing incredible chefs and I was like, 'what the hell are we going to make?' – and I was like, 'this is the dish I want to make, let's get to work!'" he told journalists.
The attempt came after a difficult year. Kerr suffered a calf injury at the World Championships in Tokyo last September, ending his gold medal hopes there.
Photo: dailymail.com
His coach, Danny Mackey, confirmed the pair had targeted the mile record months ago and worked relentlessly to reach Saturday.
Kerr documented the whole thing in a project he titled 'Project 222', named after the number of seconds between him and the record. The training ended with a 1,200m time trial that suggested he was ready.
For the run itself, sponsors Brooks kitted him out in a bespoke speed suit with laser-cut perforations for the July heat, along with customised spikes featuring a carbon plate and titanium pins.
Photo: dailymail.com
He clocked 13.7 seconds for each of the final three 100m splits after passing 1,200m in two minutes 46.5 seconds.
Kerr has become one of the biggest names in the sport over the past five years, known for his bold challenges to rivals including Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen, whom he beat in the 1500m final in Budapest in 2023.
He will race next at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow next month.
Source: Daily Mail
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