Great Britain's Josh Kerr will attempt to break the long-standing men's mile world record at the London Diamond League meeting this summer.
The current record, held by Hicham El Guerrouj, has been unbroken since 1999, with a time of three minutes and 43.13 seconds.
Kerr, who recently secured his third world title with an impressive indoor 3,000m gold medal performance in Poland, has a personal best time of 3:45.34 for the mile. This outstanding achievement marks a British record and places him sixth on the all-time list.
"It’s been a huge goal of my career. It’s one of the oldest world records on the track, and I think it’s one of the most important ones," Kerr remarked to BBC Sport.
"It has stood the test of time and needs a huge amount of respect. With the training numbers that we're putting up, I think this year is such a great opportunity to have a real crack at it while not giving up other opportunities.
"It’s something that I feel confident to talk about going after. It’s a really exciting time."
The London Athletics Meet, part of the Diamond League's 15-stop schedule for the season, is set to take place on Saturday, July 18th.
Kerr successfully reclaimed the indoor 3,000m title he first won in Glasgow two years earlier, completing his remarkable comeback after suffering an injury. This victory took place six months following his unsuccessful defense of the world 1500m title in Tokyo, where he faced a setback due to a torn calf muscle during the final event.
Now fully recovered and with no outdoor world championship on the horizon for 2026, the Olympic 1500m medalist has chosen to pursue a challenge against El Guerrouj’s mile record, while also aiming for Commonwealth gold on home soil just two weeks later.
"This sport needs moments. I think that setting my goals and being very clear on that is a huge part of giving this record the respect that it deserves," Kerr explained.
"To do it in front of a British crowd would just make it extremely special. It’s going to be a tough one, but I truly think that I’m capable of going after these times."
Sir Roger Bannister made history in 1954 as the first individual to break the four-minute barrier for the mile in Oxford, reclaiming the world record for Britain after Sydney Wooderson’s record was set aside in 1942. Although Bannister held the record for only 46 days, Derek Ibbotson reinstated British pride in 1957. The legacy continued with Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett, and Steve Cram ensuring that the record remained in British possession from July 1979 until September 1993.
"It was a non-negotiable to do it in the UK," Kerr stated.
"I think that’s massively special. It’s time to bring the mile world record home. We have an amazing history of milers in this country, and it’s important to go after these records when you’re capable."
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