Josh Kerr has brought the mile world record back to Britain for the first time in more than three decades, running three minutes 42.66 seconds in front of 60,000 fans at the former Olympic Stadium in London on Saturday.
The 28-year-old shaved almost half a second off Hicham El Guerrouj's previous mark of three minutes 43.13 seconds, a record that had stood since July 1999.
Kerr was just one year old when El Guerrouj set that time. For more than a quarter of a century no one had beaten it, with only a couple of athletes coming close.
The Scottish runner had spoken openly about the attempt. In March he unveiled "Project 222", his plan to run the mile in 222 seconds.
His time was almost 17 seconds faster than Sir Roger Bannister's first sub-four-minute mile, run in 1954.
Kerr's name now sits alongside British middle-distance greats including Bannister, Steve Ovett, Sebastian Coe and Steve Cram. Coe, a former world record holder himself, presented Kerr with a cheque for around £38,000 after the race.
Photo: dailymail.com
The former 1500m world champion and double Olympic medallist laid out his training regime earlier this year. His weeks include recovery runs of seven to ten miles, gym sessions of up to 90 minutes, and long runs of around 16 miles.
His preparation went further. Kerr took ice baths lasting exactly three minutes and 42 seconds and went to bed at 8.30pm in an altitude chamber at his home in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Living at high altitude prompts the body to produce more oxygen-rich red blood cells. Albuquerque sits around 5,250ft above sea level, and Kerr's chamber adds another 3,000ft.
He eats spinach with almost every meal and does a 16 to 18-hour food fast from about 6.30pm on Tuesday until around 12.30pm the next day. He also takes sodium bicarbonate before every race, which experts say delays muscle fatigue.
Kerr credits much of his success to his wife Larimar, a dermatologist. The pair met on his first day at the University of New Mexico, where he moved at 17 after winning a scholarship.
Photo: dailymail.com
Larimar was also on the track team, running the 400m. They became friends before dating a few years later and married in December 2025, having spent periods more than 3,000 miles apart for their careers.
Kerr said Larimar keeps him "grounded". On Saturdays, when he takes a break from training, they walk their dog Perez together.
He comes from a strong sporting family. His father John is a former professional rugby player and his mother Jill a physiotherapist. His brother Jake represented Scotland at rugby and has played for the Bristol Bears.
Kerr began running at eight when he joined a local sports club in his hometown of Edinburgh. He won gold in the 1500m at the 2015 European Athletics Junior Championship and again at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.
He has said the record attempt was not his most intense training. The hardest he worked, he said, was at 13
Source: Daily Mail
