Josh Kerr Breaks 27-Year-Old World Mile Record at London
Herz — World Desk · · 30s summary · 4 min read
The essentials
British runner Josh Kerr, 28, set a new world mile record on July 18, 2026, at London Stadium. He ran 3 minutes 42.66 seconds, breaking the previous record by 0.47 seconds. That mark, held by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj since 1999, had stood for 27 years. The performance took place before nearly 60,000 spectators at a World Athletics Diamond League meet. Kerr becomes the sixth British runner to hold this world title. Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics, awarded him a $50,000 prize on the track.
Josh Kerr runs 3:42.66 mile in London: new world record.
El Guerrouj's record (3:43.13) stood for 27 years since 1999.
Kerr becomes sixth British runner to hold the world mile record.
$50,000 prize awarded by World Athletics president on track.
Performance part of 'Project 222' program announced in March 2026.
Josh Kerr bat le record du monde du mile à Londres, vieux de 27 ans — jenaragon94, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
What we know
On July 18, 2026, British runner Josh Kerr, 28, set a new world mile record at London Stadium. According to Al Jazeera, he ran 3 minutes 42.66 seconds at a World Athletics Diamond League meet — an annual athletics competition organized since 2010, consisting of 15 meets across 16 disciplines.
Kerr erased the record of Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj, set in 1999, by a margin of 0.47 seconds. The previous record of 3 minutes 43.13 seconds had stood unbeaten for 27 years.
3:42.66
New world mile record (Kerr, July 18, 2026)
0.47 sec
Margin over El Guerrouj's previous record (3:43.13)
27 years
Years El Guerrouj's record stood
~60,000
Spectators at London Stadium
$50,000
Prize awarded to Kerr by World Athletics
World mile record: El Guerrouj (1999) and Kerr (2026), in seconds
Josh Kerr World Mile Record 2026 | Lost in the Jungle
Kerr had announced in March 2026 his intention to break this record as part of his 'Project 222': running the mile in under 223 seconds, with 222-second ice bath recoveries integrated into his training. With his time of 222.66 seconds, he achieved this goal. He also improved his own personal record by nearly three seconds.
How the race unfolded
Kerr benefited from the support of two pacemakers: his training partner Brannon Kidder and Slovenia's Zan Rudolph. American Yared Nuguse, an Olympic bronze medalist and North American mile record holder, kept pace until the final 200 meters before falling back.
The prize ceremony
Sebastian Coe, president of World Athletics — the international governing body for world athletics, which he has led since 2015 — was present in the stadium. He presented Kerr with a check for $50,000 and a book dedicated to mile champions.
A historically British record
Josh Kerr becomes the sixth British runner to hold the world mile record. Roger Bannister was the first athlete to break four minutes in 1954. Steve Ovett, Sebastian Coe, and Steve Cram then dominated the record from 1979 to 1993, before El Guerrouj claimed it permanently.
Timeline
1954
Roger Bannister (United Kingdom) becomes the first athlete to run the mile in under four minutes.
1979–1993
British runners Steve Ovett, Sebastian Coe, and Steve Cram successively held the world mile record.
1999
Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj sets the record at 3 minutes 43.13 seconds.
March 2026
Josh Kerr announces 'Project 222': running the mile in under 223 seconds.
July 18, 2026
Josh Kerr breaks the record in 3 minutes 42.66 seconds at London Stadium, before nearly 60,000 spectators.
Other results from the meet
British runner Keely Hodgkinson won the women's 800m in 1 minute 56.21 seconds, her first outdoor title of the season.
In the men's race, 24-year-old American Brandon Miller won the 800m in 1 minute 42.19 seconds, a personal record. Kenyan Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who was aiming for David Rudisha's world record — set in this same stadium during the 2012 Olympic Games — finished fourth.
In the pole vault, Sweden's Armand Duplantis, the defending two-time Olympic champion, withdrew after experiencing discomfort in his left thigh once the bar reached 5.95 m. He cited next month's European Championships as his reason. American Sam Kendricks won the event.
In the women's 200m, Saint Lucia's Julien Alfred won the race in 21.66 seconds, ahead of American Gabby Thomas.
Josh Kerr's track record
Before this world record, Kerr was the world champion in the 1500m since 2023 and twice world indoor champion in the 3000m. He trains at high altitude in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
What remains uncertain
The severity of the discomfort experienced by Armand Duplantis in his left thigh has not been clarified. The athlete cited next month's European Championships to justify his withdrawal, with no further medical details available.
How long had the world mile record stood?
Hicham El Guerrouj's record, set in 1999 at 3 minutes 43.13 seconds, lasted 27 years before being broken on July 18, 2026, by Josh Kerr.
What is Josh Kerr's 'Project 222'?
Announced in March 2026, 'Project 222' is Kerr's training program aimed at running the mile in under 223 seconds, with 222-second ice bath recoveries integrated into his training regimen.
What is the World Athletics Diamond League?
The Diamond League is an annual athletics competition organized by World Athletics since 2010. It brings together the world's best athletes across 15 meets per season in 16 disciplines.
Why is this record important for Great Britain?
Josh Kerr becomes the sixth British runner to hold the world mile record, following Roger Bannister (1954), Steve Ovett, Sebastian Coe, and Steve Cram, who dominated this distance from 1979 to 1993.
What is Josh Kerr's track record before this world record?
Josh Kerr is the world champion in the 1500m (2023) and twice world indoor champion in the 3000m. He trains at high altitude in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
