British runner Josh Kerr sets new mile world record in London

British middle-distance runner Josh Kerr lowered the mile world record to 3 minutes 42.66 seconds at the Wanda Diamond League meet in London on Saturday, surpassing Hicham El Guerrouj's 1999 mark of 3:43.13 by nearly half a second.

The 28-year-old, an Olympic 1500 m silver medallist from the 2024 Paris Games and 2023 world champion at the same distance, announced his record attempt in late March, describing the preparation as a focused "Project 222" aimed at running under 222 seconds.

"It's very overwhelming with the amount of hype," Kerr said to BBC Sport after the race. "It's silly to call your shot that early, obviously a lot of things can go wrong. But I'm surrounded by amazing people, and I was able to just stay consistent, put the work in."

Coach Danny Mackey noted that the plan hinged on a precise time target and that the team monitored any potential earlier breakthroughs that could affect the calculation. Kerr trained at high altitude in Albuquerque and documented his regimen in a series of online videos, while his sponsor Brooks Running provided custom spikes and a speed suit.

Kerr finished about three seconds ahead of American Yared Nuguse, who took second place, and ahead of Britain's Jake Heyward, who placed third. He highlighted the historic significance of achieving the feat on British soil, joining a lineage that includes Roger Bannister, Sebastian Coe and Steve Ovett.

"We dug into the history of the mile with six previous British holders of the record ... I would be the seventh, and to do it on British soil," Kerr told FloTrack when he first announced the bid.