Great Britainās Josh Kerr achieved his much-publicised aim of breaking the long-standing world mile record with a stunning 3:42.66* run at the Novuna London Athletics Meet ā this seasonās 11th Wanda Diamond League meeting ā on Saturday (18).
Kerr attacked the record in the Emsley Carr Mile as part of āProject 222ā ā the number of seconds he hoped to complete the distance in to improve on the world record set by Hicham El Guerrouj in Rome in 1999.
And he did so ā the 2023 world 1500m champion becoming the first athlete to break 3:43, improving on El Guerroujās 3:43.13 set 27 years ago.
Kerr was paced by his training partner Brannon Kidder and Žan Rudolf and Kidder hit 400m on world record tempo in 54.75. Kidder led through 800m in 1:50.63 before the pacemakers stepped aside and Kerr reached 1200m in 2:46.39, roared on by the 60,000-strong London Stadium crowd. Kerr then hit 1500m in 3:27.62 ā faster than his own British record for the distance.
Kerr had been tracked by USAās Yared Nuguse but Nuguse couldnāt stick with the closing pace and finished second in 3:45.69.
Great Britainās Jake Heyward was third in a PB of 3:46.73 and Robert Farken finished fourth in a German record of 3:46.82.
*Subject to the usual ratification procedure
