LONDON, ENGLAND, July 18 — He called it nearly 4 months ago. What many took to be a cheeky marketing move that would likely fail, Josh Kerr took as a solemn promise. He announced his “Project 222” on March 28, boldly proclaiming that he would do everything in his power to bring down the mile WR, one that had stood for 27 years.
Today in London’s Olympic Stadium, the 28-year-old Scotsman drove himself to the fastest mile in human history, his 3:42.66 slashing 0.47 off the mark of 3:43.13 that Hicham El Guerrouj set in Rome in ’99. He became the first Briton to hold the mark since Steve Cram lost it in ’93 — and the first to set it on British soil since Derek Ibbotson in ’57.
Kerr oozed confidence from the start, dropping behind rabbits Brannon Kidder and Žan Rudolf, with Yared Nuguse slotting in behind him and Oregon’s Simeon Birnbaum positioning himself in 5th.
The 400 passed in 54.75, a shade faster than what Kerr had wanted. He hit 55.3 (55.4 at the quartermile). Kidder stayed on target, hitting 1:50.63 before moving to lane 2 to cheer Kerr on. The Scot passed that pole in 1:51.1 and 880y in 1:51.4.
Running behind Rudolf now, Kerr knew the next lap would determine his fate. The Slovenian, a 1:45.15 performer, took him to 1000 in 2:18.7 (faster than the Slovenian Record, incidentally). Kerr, anxious to go, took over the lead at 2:18.8, surging now that he had figuratively broken the leash.
He hit 1200 in 2:46.39, with Nuguse a stride back and Birnbaum hitting his limit and imploding (he dropped shortly after). On the last lap, Kerr displayed immense power, driving the audience of 60,000 — many of them there just to watch him — to their feet as they exhorted him in a massive roar. He passed 1500 in 3:27.62, a half-second ahead of El Guerrouj’s pace.
Any hopes that Nuguse would give Kerr a race to the line faded as the New Mexico alum drove to a lead of more than 20m. He hammered the final stretch, leaned at the line, and immediately celebrated when he saw the clock read 3:42 — 222 seconds indeed! The stadium, already deafeningly loud, erupted.
Kerr, equally astonished and vindicated, caught his breath and accepted his accolades and the Union Jack, making sure to thank his Brooks Beasts teammates along the way.
“I knew I had a 3:42 in me,” said the ’23 world 1500 champion. “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 let’s go to work and get the World Record. The last lap was incredible. I was deaf in the last 110m.”
Calling it “an amazing race to be a part of,” Nuguse ran 3:45.69, explaining, “I was feeling pretty good, but for that last 300, he pulled away. I gave it my all but I could not maintain the contact.”
Britain’s Jake Heyward got 3rd in a PR 3:46.73. Of Kerr he said, “To put yourself out there like that, and then go and do it, is really special.”
The other events on the program helped prime the audience. In the 400H, Karsten Warholm ran his first race in more than a month, blasting a 46.61 world leader that gave him a huge margin over Emil Agyekum, whose 47.45 broke Harald Schmid’s longstanding German Record.
“We are heading into the second part of the season and I feel strong, so I am very pleased with the race today,” the Norwegian said.
In the 800, many had expected Emmanuel Wanyonyi to dominate. After the pacer went through 400 in 49.43, the Kenyan Olympic champion took over and led through 600 in 1:15.8. Around the bend, it turned out American Brandon Miller had the legs. He caught Wanyonyi and Britain’s Max Burgin and sprinted down the final stretch to slice nearly a second off his best with a 1:42.19 that moves him to No. 5 all-time among Americans.
Mark English finished well for a 1:42.97 runner-up ahead of Burgin (1:43.30) and Wanyonyi (1:43.31).
Said Miller, “I was just focusing on running my race. I know this is just one race on one day. I have to move on. I’ve got to show up to the next race ready to rumble again.”
The Ja’Kobe Tharp victory tour continued in the high hurdles. The 20-year-old phenomenon had no problem dispatching a talented field with his 12.89. “I knew if I could execute, it was going to be a bad day for everybody else.”
Behind him, Cuba’s Kendry Menéndez closed fast to slice a hundredth off his PR at 13.01. Trey Cunningham (13.12) led the other Americans, Jamal Britt (13.16) and Cordell Tinch (13.17).
In the 100, Auburn’s NCAA champion, Kayinsola Ajayi, ran down WC gold medalist Oblique Seville and tied his Nigerian Record of 9.84, with Seville at 9.87. “I am keeping my focus,” said the winner.
Rai Benjamin got his first career DL win in the flat 400, taking the lead early and daring the field to come after him. That they did, with Matthew Hudson-Smith and Jacory Patterson both chasing him to the line. Benjamin surged in the final strides for a PR 44.05, with Hudson-Smith at 44.18 and Patterson 44.25.
Said Benjamin, “I wanted to have a little fun. It was nice to have a go at the 400 flat. I was looking for a 43 today, but I was just a bit shy.”
The only field event for the men was the pole vault, where Sam Kendricks got his lucky day and Mondo Duplantis found only disappointment. Kendricks, doing his best vaulting in 2 years, had first-attempt clearances through 19-6¼ (5.95), the height that gave him the ’17 Worlds gold in the same stadium. He went for 19-9¾ (6.04) after, but the long day had sapped him.
Duplantis had taken minimal attempts, nursing a sore thigh. His clearance at 19-6¼ was only his third try overall, and it gave him 2nd; he had missed, then passed at 19-2 ¼ (5.85). However, he had to let the win go as he listened to his legs and withdrew from the competition.
Said Kendricks, who beat the Swede for the first time since Lausanne in ’21, “We were joking, me and Mondo on the warmup, he said, ‘Sam, you’re different today,’ and I said, ‘Well, I’ve not been back in my London energy in a long time.’”
LONDON DL MEN’S RESULTS
100(-0.7): 1. Kayinsola Ajayi (Ngr) 9.84 =NR; 2. Oblique Seville (Jam) 9.87; 3. Romell Glave (GB) 9.97 PR; 4. Emmanuel Eseme (Cam) 9.97; 5. Gift Leotlela (SA) 9.99; 6. Jordan Anthony (US) 9.99; 7. Zharnel Hughes (GB) 10.02; 8. Jeremiah Azu (GB) 10.07.
400: 1. Rai Benjamin (US) 44.05 PR; 2. Matthew Hudson-Smith (GB) 44.18; 3. Jacory Patterson (US) 44.25; 4. Jereem Richards (Tri) 44.63; 5. Lee Eppie (Bot) 44.71; 6. Khaleb McRae (US) 44.90; 7. Vernon Norwood (US) 44.97; 8. Ben Jefferies (GB) 45.30.
Non-DL 800: 1. Brandon Miller (US) 1:42.19 PR (5, 5 A) (50.4/51.8);
2. Mark English (Ire) 1:42.97 PR (51.3/51.7); 3. Max Burgin (GB) 1:43.30; 4. Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Ken) 1:43.31; 5. Ben Pattison (GB) 1:43.34; 6. Peter Bol (Aus) 1:43.60; 7. Cian McPhillips (Ire) 1:43.97; 8. Tobias Grønstad (Nor) 1:44.58; 9. Alex Botterill (GB) 1:44.71; 10. Bryce Hoppel (US) 1:45.32;… rabbit—Patryk Sieradzki (Pol) (49.43).
Mile: 1. Josh Kerr (GB) 3:42.66 WR (old WR 3:43.13 Hicham El Guerrouj [Mor] ’99)
(transponder 100s—13.8, 13.7 [27.5], 13.5 [41.0] 14.3 [55.3], 14.0 [1:09.3], 13.9 [1:23.2], 13.8 [1:37.0], 14.1 [1:51.1], 14.0 [2:05.1], 13.7 [2:18.8], 13.8 [2:32.6], 13.9 [2:46.5], 13.8 [3:00.3], 13.7 [3:14.0], 13.7 [3:27.7], 13.7 [3:41.4], 1.3) (1500 official—3:27.62 WL)
(400s—55.3, 55.8 [1:51.1], 55.4 [2:46.5], 54.9 [3:41.4], 1.3)
(quarters — (55.6, 56.2 [1:51.8], 55.7 [2:47.5], 55.2)
(finish to 1600m: 13.7, 27.4, 54.9, 1:50.3);
2. Yared Nuguse (US) 3:45.69 (x, 2 A);
3. Jake Heyward (GB) 3:46.73 PR; 4. Robert Farken (Ger) 3:46.82 NR;
5. Nathan Green (US) 3:48.05 PR (7, x A);
6. Arlo Ludewick (GB) 3:48.17 PR; 7. Ethan Strand (US) 3:49.13; 8. Thomas Keen (GB) 3:49.33 PR; 9. Sam Prakel (US) 3:49.63 PR; 10. Archie Davis (GB) 3:51.09 PR;… dnf—Simeon Birnbaum (US), Mohamed Abdilaahi (Ger);… rabbit—Brannon Kidder (US) (54.75, 55.88 [1:50.63]).
(best-ever mark-for-place: 4)
110H(0.3): 1. Ja’kobe Tharp (US) 12.89 (x, =10 A);
2. Kendry Menéndez (Cub) 13.01 PR; 3. Trey Cunningham (US) 13.12; 4. Jamal Britt (US) 13.16; 5. Cordell Tinch (US) 13.17; 6. Orlando Bennett (Jam) 13.21; 7. Demario Prince (Jam) 13.27; 8. Sam Bennett (GB) 13.53.
400H: 1. Karsten Warholm (Nor) 46.61 (WL) (x, 13 W);
2. Emil Nana Kwame Agyekum (Ger) 47.45 NR; 3. Abderrahmane Samba (Qat) 48.10; 4. Ezekiel Nathaniel (Ngr) 48.30; 5. Matheus Lima (Bra) 48.33; 6. Alastair Chalmers (GB) 48.81; 7. Caleb Dean (US) 50.45.
Field Event
PV: 1. Sam Kendricks (US) 19-6¼ (5.95) (17-10½, 18-4½, 18-10¼, 19-2¼, 19-6¼, 19-9¾ [xxx]) (5.45, 5.60, 5.75, 5.85, 5.95, 6.04 [xxx]); 2. Mondo Duplantis (Swe) 19-6¼ (18-4½, 19-2¼ [xpp], 19-6¼, 19-9¾ [ppp]) (5.60, 5.85 [x], 5.95); 3. Kurtis Marschall (Aus) 19-6¼ (18-4½, 18-10¼, 19-2¼, 19-6¼ [2], 19-9¾ [xxx]) (5.60, 5.75, 5.85, 5.95 [2], 6.04 [ppp]); 4. Manolo Karalís (Gre) 19-6¼; 5. Sondre Guttormsen (Nor) 19-2¼ (5.85); 6. tie, Renaud Lavillenie (Fra) & Menno Vloon (Neth) 18-4½ (5.60); 8. Owen Heard (GB) 18-4½; 9. Chris Nilsen (US) 18-4½.
(best-ever mark-for-place: =4)
