Josh Kerr breaks El Guerrouj mile record after 27 years

A major chapter in Moroccan athletics has just closed. Josh Kerr broke the world record for the mile, approximately 1,609 meters, on Saturday at the Diamond League meeting in London.

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The 28-year-old Scottish runner crossed the finish line in 3 min 42 s 66. He thus improves by 47 hundredths the time of 3 min 43 s 13 achieved by Hicham El Guerrouj on July 7, 1999, at the Golden Gala in Rome.

The Moroccan champion’s record resisted for 27 years against attempts by the world’s best middle-distance specialists. Kerr had publicly announced for several months his intention to break it in London, as part of an objective called "Project 222," in reference to the 222 seconds corresponding to a time of 3 min 42 s.

According to the results of the London Diamond League, American Yared Nuguse finished second in 3 min 45 s 69, ahead of British runner Jake Heyward, third in 3 min 46 s 73.

An attempt prepared down to the finest detail

Josh Kerr had organized his preparation around this record. Based in New Mexico, he wrote daily in a notebook that he would run the mile in 3 min 42 s in London on July 18, 2026. He also spent exactly 3 min 42 s in ice baths.

On the track, the British runner benefited from two pacemakers and a lighting system materializing the pace needed to break the record. Equipped with new spikes and a suit designed for the attempt, he stayed on pace before accelerating over the final 200 meters.

The 2023 world champion in the 1,500 meters explained that he stopped hearing the crowd’s encouragement in the final straight. He assures that he knew he could run in 3 min 42 s and even believes he still has room for improvement.

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Hicham El Guerrouj thus loses one of his two major outdoor world records. The Moroccan legend nevertheless retains that of the 1,500 meters, with his time of 3 min 26 s set on July 14, 1998 in Rome. A performance that remains, nearly three decades later, beyond the reach of all his successors.