LONDON — Josh Kerr, a former University of New Mexico track star who spent significant portions of his training at elevation in Albuquerque, broke the men’s mile world record Saturday at the London Diamond League, stopping the clock at 3:42.66.
End of a 27-year mark
Kerr erased nearly half a second from the previous benchmark of 3:43.13 set by Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999. Competing in front of a capacity crowd at London Stadium, Kerr took command after the pacemakers exited and pulled away in the final lap to secure the new standard.
“Very overwhelming, obviously, with the amount of hype,” Kerr said to the BBC after the race. “It’s silly to call your shot that early because there’s a lot of things that can go wrong. I felt like I had at least 3:42 in me. Nearly lost it there in the end, but I got over the line.”
American Yared Nuguse finished second in the race in 3:45.69. Kerr had entered the competition with an outdoor personal best of 3:45.34, and his performance in London shaved almost three seconds off that mark.
Project 222 and New Mexico ties
The achievement capped a campaign Kerr dubbed "Project 222," his public pursuit of a 222-second mile. Much of his preparation took place at altitude in Albuquerque, where he trained while building toward the world-record effort.
Kerr ran collegiately for the Lobos from 2015-18, a span during which he won multiple NCAA championships and dominated the Mountain West. His résumé at New Mexico includes three individual NCAA titles, eight Mountain West championships and the collegiate 1,500-meter record. He also captured consecutive NCAA indoor mile crowns in 2017 and 2018.
- Event: London Diamond League
- New world record: Josh Kerr — 3:42.66
- Previous record: Hicham El Guerrouj — 3:43.13 (1999)
Kerr, an Edinburgh native who is the first British man since Steve Cram in 1985 to hold the mile world record, had publicly announced his intention to target the mark in March. He said before the race that the record needed a serious attempt and that he believed he could be the one to make it happen.
| Runner | Time | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Josh Kerr | 3:42.66 | New world record |
| Hicham El Guerrouj | 3:43.13 | Previous world record (1999) |
| Yared Nuguse | 3:45.69 | Second place, London |
The record has resonance for New Mexico’s track community. Kerr’s development in Albuquerque, where elevation and coaching resources contributed to his endurance training, underscores the state’s role in preparing elite distance runners for international competition. For local athletes and programs, the feat will likely serve as both inspiration and a reminder of the potential benefits of high-altitude preparation.
At a broader level, Kerr’s run rewrites the history books for the mile, closing a chapter that stood for nearly three decades and adding a new benchmark for athletes targeting middle-distance events worldwide.
