Josh Kerr Breaks Mile World Record With 3:42.66 in London
Josh Kerr shattered Hicham El Guerrouj's 27-year-old mile world record with a stunning 3:42.66 at the London Diamond League, becoming the first man to break 3:43 and the seventh Briton to hold the record.
· 6 min read · Athletics News
Josh Kerr did exactly what he said he would do. On Saturday 18 July, in front of 60,000 people at London Stadium, the 28-year-old Scot ran **3:42.66** in the Emsley Carr Mile to smash Hicham El Guerrouj's mile world record of 3:43.13, set in Rome in 1999.
The record had stood for 27 years. Kerr was two years old when El Guerrouj set it.
He is now the first man to break 3:43 for the mile, the seventh British man to hold the record, and the newest name on one of the most iconic lines in athletics history.
How the race unfolded
Kerr's pacemakers - training partner Brannon Kidder and Slovenia's Žan Rudolf - took the field through the opening laps on schedule. Kidder hit 400m in 54.75, with Kerr a few strides back at 55.3 seconds.
Through 800m, Kerr was clocked at **1:51.1** - right on world record tempo. The pacemakers stepped off, and Kerr took the race alone.
He passed 1200m in **2:46.39** and hit 1500m in **3:27.62**, a split that was faster than his own British record for 1500 metres. The crowd was on its feet for the final 109 metres.
"I nearly lost it there at the end, but I got over the line," Kerr said afterwards.
He didn't just get over the line. He took **0.47 seconds** off a record many thought would survive another decade.
Split breakdown
| Checkpoint | Time | | --- | --- | | 400m | 55.3 | | 800m | 1:51.1 | | 1200m | 2:46.39 | | 1500m | 3:27.62 | | Mile (1609m) | **3:42.66** (WR) |
Full Emsley Carr Mile results
Kerr was tracked early by Yared Nuguse (USA), but the American could not stay with Kerr's closing speed:
| Pos | Athlete | Country | Time | Note | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Josh Kerr | GBR | **3:42.66** | World record | | 2 | Yared Nuguse | USA | 3:45.69 | | | 3 | Jake Heyward | GBR | 3:46.73 | PB | | 4 | Robert Farken | GER | 3:46.82 | German record |
Three of the top four ran personal bests or national records in a race that was effectively built around Kerr's solo assault on the clock.
Project 222 delivered
Kerr and his sponsor Brooks branded the attempt **Project 222** - a target of 222 seconds, or 3:42 flat. He missed the 222-second target by 0.66 seconds. He did not miss the world record.
The buildup was deliberate and public. Kerr announced his goal months in advance, trained at altitude in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and documented his preparation openly. He called the shot and hit it - just not the bullseye version.
"There was a lot of hype," Kerr said. "I am surrounded by amazing people, so I have continued to put the work in and I knew I had a 3:42 in me."
He added: "Out there, I am just the body, but there is an incredible amount of work behind the scenes. Today is a result of all that hard work. The last lap was incredible. I was deaf in the last 110 metres."
For the preview and pre-race analysis, see [Josh Kerr Project 222: Mile World Record Attempt at London Diamond League](/blog/josh-kerr-project-222-london-mile).
The British mile tradition
Kerr joins a short list of British men who have held the outdoor mile world record:
1. Walter George (1886) 2. Sydney Wooderson (1937) 3. Roger Bannister (1954) 4. Derek Ibbotson (1957) 5. Steve Ovett (1980) 6. Steve Cram (1985) 7. **Josh Kerr (2026)**
Bannister's sub-4-minute barrier in 1954 made the mile the most culturally significant distance in athletics. Cram was the last Brit to hold the record, running 3:46.32 in Oslo 41 years ago. Kerr has now written the next chapter.
For the full timeline of mile records from Bannister to Kerr, see our [mile world record history](/blog/mile-world-record).
What else happened in London
Kerr's record was the centrepiece, but the London Diamond League was stacked across the board:
- Cierra Jackson (USA) threw a Diamond League discus record of 71.72m on her final throw - Karsten Warholm (NOR) ran 46.61 in the 400m hurdles, the world lead for 2026 - Julien Alfred (LCA) beat Gabby Thomas in the 200m, 21.66 to 21.81 - Brandon Miller (USA) ran a huge PB of 1:42.19 to win the 800m - Keely Hodgkinson (GBR) won the women's 800m in 1:56.21 over Femke Broeders-Bol - Kanyinsola Ajayi (NGR) equalled his 9.84 Nigerian 100m record to beat Oblique Seville