Men's mile record broken for first time since 1999
British runner Josh Kerr ran the mile in 3 minutes, 42.66 seconds on Saturday, breaking a record that has stood since 1999.
Josh Kerr, the British runner who helped stoke a revival in middle-distance drama on the track, added a new chapter Saturday by running the mile in 3 minutes, 42.66 seconds to break the 27-year-old world record for the distance.
At a Diamond League meet in London, Kerr broke Moroccan great Hicham El Guerrouj's mark of 3 minutes, 43.13 seconds, set in Rome in 1999. The 28-year-old native of Edinburgh celebrated with a lap of honor at London Stadium.
"It was just me, my shoes and the track," he said. "I was absolutely deaf in that last 110 meters."
Kerr finished more than three seconds clear of American Yared Nuguse's second-place time of 3:45.69.
In an interview with the BBC, Kerr said the crowd support as he closed in on the record was "just incredible."
"I didn't take my foot off the gas," he continued, "but ... I started to glide and I was like 'oh wow this feels incredible.' It's incredible because I'm slowing down. So, I was like 'I better get to the line.' So, crossing the finish line, seeing 42-something — anything — was my goal, so it was great."