Mile magic! Extraordinary Josh run takes down World Record and lights up London

Saturday 18th July 2026

Photos by British Athletics via Getty Images

First Josh Kerr talked the talk. Then he ran the run.

The Scottish track legend took down the World Record for the mile with a quite extraordindary performance at the London Diamond League meet.

Josh thrilled thousands in the stadium and millions more worldwide as he clocked 3:42.66 to eclipse by half a second Hicham El Guerrouj’s 3:43.13 – set by the Moroccan some 27 years ago.

Months of preparation – with ice baths and an altitude bedroom – paid off as Project 222 bore dividend. He ran almost exactly 222 seconds. Of course he did.

In magnificent context, Josh now joins Steve Ovett, Seb Coe and Steve Cram in holding the mile World Record – with Cram on commentary duty for BBC Sport in the London stadium.

He also posted a new British Record for the Men’s 1500m at 3:27.62 – improving his own mark.

Congratulations to Josh, coach Danny Mackey, all his family and team and a special word, too, for those at Edinburgh AC who are so proud to have played a key role in his development in his early teens.

BBC Sport coverage

American Yared Nuguse was second in 3:45.69 and Welsh atlete Jake Heyward was third in 3:46.73. Nuguse had started the day with a quicker PB than Kerr.

Josh said: ‘It is very overwhelming. There was a lot of hype. I am surrounded by amazing people, so I have continued to put the work in, so I knew I had a 3:42 in me.

‘I nearly lost it there at the end, but I got over the line.

‘If I am to leave my mark on the sport, as a British athlete with the legends I have behind me, to follow in those footsteps, I have to deliver those performances.

‘Those performances take every part of you, every part of your team. Out there, I am just the body, but there is an incredible amount of work behind the scenes. Today is a result of all that hard work.

‘I am lucky to be able to string the training together. It felt like I had a kitchen full of incredible chefs, and they are like, what the heck are we going to make, and this is the dish I want to make, so lets go to work and get the world record. The last lap was incredible.

‘I was deaf in the last 110 metres.’

Jemma Reekie was in the Women’s 800m race which clsoed out the prgoramme in London. Jemma finished fifth in 1:58.60 for another sub two minutes run.

The Women’s 3000m featured three of our athletes for distance events in Glasgow.

Laura Muir was best placed on the day with SB run of 8:31.77 for 11^th place with Megan Keith at 8:32.58. There was a PB run there from Eloise Walker at 8:34.80 as the Edinburgh AC athlete improved by eight seconds.

Photo by Allan Scott

The Women’s 4x100m Relay saw Scotland compete with four of the athletes selected for Glasgow.

Fourth place was the initial outcome from a 44.70 run by the quartet of Lucy Fraser, Kaya Slater, Alyson Bell and Alisha Rees. Unfortunately, there was aninfringement and Scotland were duly a DQ on the Results.

The Women’s National 400m saw Pitreavie AAC well-represented.

Nicole Yeargin clocked 50.98 to equal her SB for third place. Rebecca Grieve clocked 52.46 for her SB run.

In the Ambulant 1500m, there was an excellent Scottish 1-2.

Ben Sandilands, a winner of this race previously, repeated his victory with 3:49.26 and was followed home by Steven Bryce at 4:00.81. Good to see Owen Miller get a race under his belt, too, with Fife AC’s Reiss Marshall in fine pace-making role.

‘My pace was on point, I just couldn’t get my legs to go quicker,’ said Ben.

‘The crowd was amazing, it really gets you going, moves you on.’