Josh Kerr breaks one mile world record in blazing run at London Diamond League

Josh Kerr has broken the men’s one mile world record with a staggering run at the Diamond League at the London Stadium.

>The Briton, 28, bettered Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj's 27-year-old time (3:43.13) from 1999 by coming home in an astonishing 3:42.66.

>The 2023 world 1,500m champion delivered on his word, having announced his intent to rewrite the history books in March, capitalising on a year without an Olympics or World Championships in 2027.

>In breaking the record, Kerr beat out competition from the USA’s Olympic medalist Yared Nuguse to win the race outright, with compatriot Jake Heyward third and Germany’s Robert Farken fourth.

>"It's very overwhelming with the amount of hype,” Kerr told BBC Sport. “It's silly to call it that early because there's a lot of things which can go wrong but I am surrounded by amazing people and was just able to stay consistent, put the work in, and I knew I had 3:42 in me. I nearly lost it there at the end but I got over the line.

Josh Kerr of Team Great Britain celebrates after winning and setting a new world record (Getty)"If I'm to leave my mark on this sport as a British legend, with the legends behind me and following in their footsteps, I have to put in those performances.

>"Those performances take every single part of you, every single part of your team, and the amount of work behind the scenes for me is incredible. Today it was a performance I was able to bring out - I just hoped it would be a little bit faster!”

>“I'm lucky to be able to string the training together, you know what it felt like, a kitchen full of amazing chefs, I was like, what the hell am I going to make. That's what I felt like.

Britain's Josh Kerr celebrates after breaking the men's 1 mile world record (Reuters)“There was no point waiting until 2028. To bring the mile back to this stadium is amazing. That last lap, it was me, my shoes and the track, it was deaf in the last 200m, I knew if I came home 28-flat, I started to glide, it's incredible, but it was incredible because I was slowing down. It was great.”

>Kerr’s 1,500m split also confirmed a new British 1,500m record, topping his previous mark (3:27.79) by almost three hundredths of a second in 3:27.51.

>And his one mile record was in the balance with 400m remaining, with the clock at 2:46.39 and requiring a sub-57 final lap to create history.

Josh Kerr of Team Great Britain celebrates after winning the 1 Mile Men's Final (Getty)But Kerr stormed home, moving away from a gritty Nuguse and the wave lights on the bend before erupting in joy to the delight of the London Stadium crowd, which included the legendary Sebastian Coe, President of World Athletics and a former one mile world record holder, who was seen applauding.

>“I have never seen Josh Kerr in such great shape,” remarked Steve Cram. “He looks so conditioned but training is one thing - to step up and do what everyone expects of you is special. It's not just what he did today, it's the whole process. It's been a proper mission and not an impossible one because he's completed it.”

Britain's Josh Kerr celebrates at the London Diamond League (Reuters)The build-up to the attempt has surrounded a buzz from Kerr’s YouTube series, in which he documented all of his training for the race.

>It culminated in a 1,200m time trial, which was completed in a remarkable 2:42.45, to prove his fitness was on track to break El Guerrouj's world record.

>Kerr will now reset, focusing on recovery before a mouthwatering one mile race in the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, with compatriot Jake Wightman and Australian sensation Cameron Myers competing for the gold.

Josh Kerr of Team Great Britain celebrates after winning the 1 Mile Men's Final and setting a new World Record (Getty)The meet had been set up as a joint-world record attempt from Great Britain’s two biggest track stars with Keely Hodgkinson also targeting a women’s 800m outdoor world record. The Olympic champion ran 1:56.21 to win her race, but after a stumble a few weeks ago, the world record attempt was pushed back and the 24-year-old was forced to settle for victory outright ahead of Dutch superstar Femke Broeders-Bol.