Credited from: NPR
Josh Kerr has achieved a remarkable milestone in athletics by breaking the world mile record at the London Diamond League, clocking in at 3:42.66. This performance not only eclipses the previous record held by Moroccan runner Hicham El Guerrouj for 27 years but also marks a significant personal best for the 28-year-old Briton, who previously held a time of nearly three seconds longer. Kerr was driven by a raucous crowd of 60,000 fans at the London Stadium, passionately supporting his historic run, as detailed by Al Jazeera, NPR, and Reuters.
Kerr's pursuit of breaking the mile record was encapsulated in his training initiative dubbed "Project 222," aimed at finishing the race in less than 223 seconds. In preparation, he incorporated creative recovery techniques, such as ice-bath sessions, into his training routine. Kerr expressed the intense personal and physical commitment involved in achieving such a milestone, further emphasizing, “Going after records like that is not really anything about fitness, it's about wrapping your mind around that time,” which he shared in an interview following the event. This has been reported by NPR and Reuters.
In addition to breaking the record, Kerr holds the distinction of being the seventh Briton to achieve this feat, joining the ranks of legendary predecessors such as Roger Bannister and Steve Cram. “I feel very lucky to push this forward and bring it back to the UK because I feel like that's where the mile belongs,” Kerr remarked, reflecting upon the historic significance of his achievement during the event. This aspect of his accomplishment is highlighted in articles by Al Jazeera and Reuters.
The highly anticipated race also featured notable performances from other athletes, such as Keely Hodgkinson, who won her first outdoor race of the season in the women's 800 meters. This event also witnessed American runner Brandon Miller's surprising victory in the men's 800 meters, and discussions surrounding Olympic champion Armand Duplantis, who withdrew from the pole vault competition due to injury, as detailed by Reuters.