Josh Kerr Smashes 27-Year-Old Mile World Record in London
July 18, 2026
British runner Josh Kerr broke the men's mile world record with a time of 3:42.66 at the London Diamond League, surpassing Hicham El Guerrouj's 1999 mark.
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British runner Josh Kerr shattered the 27-year-old men’s mile world record on July 18, 2026, in London, clocking 3 minutes and 42.66 seconds. The 28-year-old from Edinburgh beat Moroccan legend Hicham El Guerrouj’s 1999 record by nearly half a second in front of a capacity crowd at London Stadium. Kerr, who publicly announced his bid in March, dubbed the effort “Project 222” to target a sub-223-second finish. Aided by pacemakers and custom equipment from sponsor Brooks Running, Kerr outpaced American Yared Nuguse by three seconds to claim the historic time.
This achievement makes Kerr the seventh British athlete to hold the mile record, joining a lineage that includes Roger Bannister, Sebastian Coe, and Steve Cram. Having won Olympic silver in 2024 and a world championship in 2023, Kerr capitalized on a year without major global championships to focus on this singular goal. The victory was celebrated not only for breaking the long-standing record but also for reviving Britain’s rich middle-distance heritage on home soil.