6 ms·

British runner Josh Kerr breaks world record for mile which stood for 27 years

132 points by austinallegro 3mo ago

dyauspitr 3mo ago
Is this because most East Africans don’t really try to beat the mile (instead doing the 1500m) since there’s no money in it?
- Jefro118 3mo ago
  I'm sure the record standing so long is partially down to the fact the mile isn't run at major championships, although the middle distances like 800m and 1500m are more of an open field and not dominated by East Africans like longer distances such as 5k and 10k (Josh Kerr is already an Olympic silver medallist, finishing behind a white American and ahead of an Ethiopian-American).
  - wging 3mo ago
    > I'm sure the record standing so long is partially down to the fact the mile isn't run at major championships I'm not so sure about that. The 1500 is the equivalent race run at major championships (and most paced time trials). But that record (3:26.00 by Hicham El Guerrouj) has stood one year longer, and is generally considered a stronger record. This is possibly the closest anyone's ever come to an equivalent performance to the 1500 record, in either the mile or the 1500. The second-fastest 1500m time ever is 3:26.34 by Bernard Lagat in 2001. The World Athletics scoring tables value a 3:42.66 at about 3:26.3, eyeballing the midpoint of given values. (Or taking the WA point values on the top lists, Josh Kerr's new mile record is 1298, Lagat's second-best 1500m is 1297, and El Guerrouj's 3:26.00 is 1302.) I don't know whether the WA points or other conversion methods actually have small enough error bars to distinguish between the Lagat and Kerr performances, but the 1500 record beats the mile record by a big enough margin that I don't think we need to worry about that. https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlelong/one-mile/all/men/senior https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlel... https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlelong/1500-metres/all/men/senior https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlel...
    - PaulDavisThe1st 3mo ago
      Some years ago, I heard that a rough metric for regular athletics: humans slow down by about 5% for each doubling of the distance. If that is accurate even between 100m and the mile, then extrapolating the world 100m record (9.58 seconds) out to the mile would suggest a mile pace of 12.84/100m. Kerr ran an average of 13.837/100m. If the 5% rule is truly accurate (which is unlikely), there's some scope for faster times. Personally I'd bet the 5% is just a handy rule of thumb that doesn't do much more than to indicate that these are incredible athletes operating at the absolute peak of human performance.
- jackmott42 3mo ago
  Because most humans don't really try, not limited to east africans.
- rappatic 3mo ago
  East African dominance over track events has largely ended. The 1500m world record is held by a West African, while the mile and 3000m world records are now held by white Europeans. The 5000m at the recent World Championships had no East African medalists, and the 10000m had just one. Same goes for the most recent Olympic 5000m. Compare this with the Olympic and World Championship podiums for the 2000s and 2010s; I don't believe a non-East-African-born athlete won a single 5000/10000m medal for 20 years straight.
- lynx__ 3mo ago
  No. The 1500m (which is run frequently) and mile world records were held by the same person prior to this, and while the Mile record was considered slightly "worse", maybe one or two people since it was set(Bernard Lagat, Asbel Kiprop) could have beaten it if they focused more on running it, but not really a guarantee. Jakob Ingebretsen was the other who likely could have beaten it, but he's also been hit by a fair number of Achilles issues, including undergoing surgery this past year. Kerr's performance was very impressive, and, as he continually reiterates, the team he assembled is what led to it aside from his potential and dedication. He set a PR of 2.68 seconds (two years ago) and before that his closest time was 6.61 seconds away. Granted the mile isn't run frequently, but his 1500m times last year weren't very indicative of hitting the WR either - but also goes to show middle distance and up is often run to win as opposed to set your fastest time similar to shorter distances.
__turbobrew__ 3mo ago
He had a special singlet designed and undoubtedly carbon shoes. Makes you wonder how much raw human potential has progressed vs just having better equipment and track surfaces?
- jackmott42 3mo ago
  The mile record has dropped due to equipment (tracks and shoes) and pacing innovation since the very first. And I repeat this all the time but nobody listens: modern shoes are fast because of the special foam and light weight, the carbon plates have very little to do with it, experiments have cut those plates in half and running economy remains unchanged. they likely provide important structural support for the thick foam, and carbon makes sense to use for that for weight reasons, on a budget plastic is fine.
  - lynx__ 3mo ago
    Was the study you saw about carbon plates even for marathon distances?
- fidotron 3mo ago
  The mention of pacemakers made me wonder if you could have some light marker on the track to show the ideal pace you should be keeping as well. If you can find the human equivalent of the rabbit for greyhounds then maybe even more could be achieved.
  - ad_hockey 3mo ago
    Yep, they have that as well. You can see it in the photo here: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jul/18/josh-kerr-makes-athletics-history-by-shattering-one-mile-world-record-in-london https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jul/18/josh-kerr-make...
    - fidotron 3mo ago
      Aha, thanks! Do you have any insight into what algorithm it uses? Like a ghost runner of the record pace or something?
rvz 3mo ago
Finally, some exciting news about a record-breaking achievement in human athleticism that deserves worthy attention for once, instead of more of the same AI news. Congratulations to him!
js2 3mo ago
Watch him do it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYi2f4ONEDg&t=180 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYi2f4ONEDg&t=180 What an incredible performance. I've seen a sub-4 mile in person. These guys are absolutely flying. All of them. And he beats the pants off that field. Splits (400m): 400m: 55.3 800m: 1:51.1 (56.8 second lap) 1200m: 2:46.5 (55.4 second lap) 1600m: 3:41.4 (54.9 third lap) Mile: 3:42.66 Splits (100m): 100m: 13.8 200m: 27.5 (13.7) 300m: 41.0 (13.5) 400m: 55.3 (14.3) 500m: 1:09.3 (14.0) 600m: 1:23.2 (13.9) 700m: 1:37.0 (13.8) 800m: 1:51.1 (14.1) 900m: 2:05.1 (14.0) 1000m: 2:18.8 (13.7) 1100m: 2:32.6 (13.8) 1200m: 2:46.5 (13.9) 1300m: 3:00.3 (13.8) 1400m: 3:14.0 (13.7) 1500m: 3:27.7 (13.7) 1600m: 3:41.4 (13.7) Mile: 3:42.66 (1.2 for the final 9.34m) Splits copied from https://xcancel.com/ChrisChavez/status/2078494868540637695 https://xcancel.com/ChrisChavez/status/2078494868540637695 Official results at https://london.diamondleague.com/programme-results/ https://london.diamondleague.com/programme-results/ Unfortunately you can't link directly to the 1 mile results. Scroll down to the table, select "1 Mile Men", then select "Reports", then "Race Analysis" and/or "Race Analysis Graphical". That leads to these two PDFs (not sure these links are stable): https://ps-cache.web.swisstiming.com/node/binaryData/ATH_PROD/LONDON_2026/PDF_ATHM1MILE---DIAMOND---FNL-000100--_C77A.PDF https://ps-cache.web.swisstiming.com/node/binaryData/ATH_PRO... https://ps-cache.web.swisstiming.com/node/binaryData/ATH_PROD/LONDON_2026/PDF_ATHM1MILE---DIAMOND---FNL-000100--_C78.PDF https://ps-cache.web.swisstiming.com/node/binaryData/ATH_PRO...
- amai 3mo ago
  He also came close to the world record at 1500 m which is at 3:26:00, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1500_metres https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1500_metres
- haunter 3mo ago
  fyi that video is region locked to the US only https://polsy.org.uk/stuff/ytrestrict.cgi?agreed=on&ytid=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DeYi2f4ONEDg https://polsy.org.uk/stuff/ytrestrict.cgi?agreed=on&ytid=htt... Other source: https://www.reddit.com/r/trackandfield/comments/1uzxv0m/josh_kerr_mile_world_record_at_the_london_diamond/ https://www.reddit.com/r/trackandfield/comments/1uzxv0m/josh...
- 3mo ago
davidw 3mo ago
What are the rules around pacers for this kind of thing? Are there separate records for with/without pacers?
- HarHarVeryFunny 3mo ago
  I don't know, but define a pacer ?! Someone with better ability to pace than yourself? Someone of lesser endurance willing to run a half race at a pace they can't sustain, but you can? What's the difference between having a pacer and another world class competitor trying to beat you that brings out your best ? What about slip streaming? Should we regard records differently where the winner stayed with the pack until a final sprint as opposed to front running the whole race?
  - casey2 3mo ago
    Obviously. These are 2 different sports. There's a reason the front of a plane or boat looks different to the sides. They carefully paint these lines on the ground then ignore them. It's annoying watching the guy in first just stop running after 2 minutes.
    - HarHarVeryFunny 3mo ago
      > It's annoying watching the guy in first just stop running after 2 minutes. Perhaps, but in terms of the runner following the pacer there is no advantage vs them following someone in same class as themselves that can sustain that pace to the end of the race. It's certainly interesting to question how much modern gear has advanced records in some sports, but there are so many other variables too, some that change over time such as nutrition and training methods, and then factors such as individual genetics or even country/altitude of origin that mean records can never be exactly compared.
- lynx__ 3mo ago
  No, there is no official record with and without pacers. And arguably, that's why the Olympics is a bit rarer for middle- and long-distance world records (because you aren't allowed official pacers). You could probably track it down though.
steele 3mo ago
Scottish too
lysace 3mo ago
In Swedish news reports they were careful to specify that it was the "English mile" (sic, ish?). For clarity, the one that is used in UK, US and Liberia. It is exactly 1609.344 meters. Disambiguation (not readily available in non-simple English wikipedia): https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mile https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mile
casey2 3mo ago
Are the guys in first and second just windbreaking for him or what's going on? Very odd.
- haunter 3mo ago
  Pace runners aka rabbits https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacemaker_(running) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacemaker_(running)
card_zero 3mo ago
The BBC headline writes it as "27-year mile world record", which works out at about one quarter inch per hour.
nianderwallace 3mo ago
Reaction from Kerr: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeE4S_d1tl0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeE4S_d1tl0 Reaction from three other runners in that race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z-MM1ArK88 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z-MM1ArK88 More info on Kerr's typical training week from https://www.dailymail.com/sport/othersports/article-15987481/Inside-Josh-Kerrs-audacious-bid-smash-mile.html https://www.dailymail.com/sport/othersports/article-15987481... : Monday - Ten mile easy run - 15 minutes of form drills, sprints over small hurdles - Rotate between sauna and cold tub Tuesday - Three-mile warm up, nine to ten miles continuous run at tempo pace, three miles cool down - Four x 120m strides - Session in the gym, lifting weights for up to 90 minutes Wednesday - Easy run lasting seven to eight miles - Rotate between sauna and cold tub Thursday - Ten to 11 miles at a moderate intensity - Plyometrics and dynamic exercises Friday - Workout on the track - Race-specific 1500m/mile sessions - Session in the gym, lifting weights for up to 90 minutes Saturday - Rest. Spends time walking dog with his wife Larimar Sunday - Long run of around 16 miles including some faster tempo pick-ups Probably in the 60-80 miles per week range.
hulitu 3mo ago
But can he beat the record for furlong ?

132 points by austinallegro 3mo ago

Is this because most East Africans don’t really try to beat the mile (instead doing the 1500m) since there’s no money in it?

Jefro118 3mo ago
I'm sure the record standing so long is partially down to the fact the mile isn't run at major championships, although the middle distances like 800m and 1500m are more of an open field and not dominated by East Africans like longer distances such as 5k and 10k (Josh Kerr is already an Olympic silver medallist, finishing behind a white American and ahead of an Ethiopian-American).
- wging 3mo ago
  > I'm sure the record standing so long is partially down to the fact the mile isn't run at major championships I'm not so sure about that. The 1500 is the equivalent race run at major championships (and most paced time trials). But that record (3:26.00 by Hicham El Guerrouj) has stood one year longer, and is generally considered a stronger record. This is possibly the closest anyone's ever come to an equivalent performance to the 1500 record, in either the mile or the 1500. The second-fastest 1500m time ever is 3:26.34 by Bernard Lagat in 2001. The World Athletics scoring tables value a 3:42.66 at about 3:26.3, eyeballing the midpoint of given values. (Or taking the WA point values on the top lists, Josh Kerr's new mile record is 1298, Lagat's second-best 1500m is 1297, and El Guerrouj's 3:26.00 is 1302.) I don't know whether the WA points or other conversion methods actually have small enough error bars to distinguish between the Lagat and Kerr performances, but the 1500 record beats the mile record by a big enough margin that I don't think we need to worry about that. https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlelong/one-mile/all/men/senior https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlel... https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlelong/1500-metres/all/men/senior https://worldathletics.org/records/all-time-toplists/middlel...
  - PaulDavisThe1st 3mo ago
    Some years ago, I heard that a rough metric for regular athletics: humans slow down by about 5% for each doubling of the distance. If that is accurate even between 100m and the mile, then extrapolating the world 100m record (9.58 seconds) out to the mile would suggest a mile pace of 12.84/100m. Kerr ran an average of 13.837/100m. If the 5% rule is truly accurate (which is unlikely), there's some scope for faster times. Personally I'd bet the 5% is just a handy rule of thumb that doesn't do much more than to indicate that these are incredible athletes operating at the absolute peak of human performance.
jackmott42 3mo ago
Because most humans don't really try, not limited to east africans.
rappatic 3mo ago
East African dominance over track events has largely ended. The 1500m world record is held by a West African, while the mile and 3000m world records are now held by white Europeans. The 5000m at the recent World Championships had no East African medalists, and the 10000m had just one. Same goes for the most recent Olympic 5000m. Compare this with the Olympic and World Championship podiums for the 2000s and 2010s; I don't believe a non-East-African-born athlete won a single 5000/10000m medal for 20 years straight.
lynx__ 3mo ago
No. The 1500m (which is run frequently) and mile world records were held by the same person prior to this, and while the Mile record was considered slightly "worse", maybe one or two people since it was set(Bernard Lagat, Asbel Kiprop) could have beaten it if they focused more on running it, but not really a guarantee. Jakob Ingebretsen was the other who likely could have beaten it, but he's also been hit by a fair number of Achilles issues, including undergoing surgery this past year. Kerr's performance was very impressive, and, as he continually reiterates, the team he assembled is what led to it aside from his potential and dedication. He set a PR of 2.68 seconds (two years ago) and before that his closest time was 6.61 seconds away. Granted the mile isn't run frequently, but his 1500m times last year weren't very indicative of hitting the WR either - but also goes to show middle distance and up is often run to win as opposed to set your fastest time similar to shorter distances.

__turbobrew__ 3mo ago

He had a special singlet designed and undoubtedly carbon shoes. Makes you wonder how much raw human potential has progressed vs just having better equipment and track surfaces?

jackmott42 3mo ago
The mile record has dropped due to equipment (tracks and shoes) and pacing innovation since the very first. And I repeat this all the time but nobody listens: modern shoes are fast because of the special foam and light weight, the carbon plates have very little to do with it, experiments have cut those plates in half and running economy remains unchanged. they likely provide important structural support for the thick foam, and carbon makes sense to use for that for weight reasons, on a budget plastic is fine.
- lynx__ 3mo ago
  Was the study you saw about carbon plates even for marathon distances?
fidotron 3mo ago
The mention of pacemakers made me wonder if you could have some light marker on the track to show the ideal pace you should be keeping as well. If you can find the human equivalent of the rabbit for greyhounds then maybe even more could be achieved.
- ad_hockey 3mo ago
  Yep, they have that as well. You can see it in the photo here: https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jul/18/josh-kerr-makes-athletics-history-by-shattering-one-mile-world-record-in-london https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/jul/18/josh-kerr-make...
  - fidotron 3mo ago
    Aha, thanks! Do you have any insight into what algorithm it uses? Like a ghost runner of the record pace or something?

rvz 3mo ago

Finally, some exciting news about a record-breaking achievement in human athleticism that deserves worthy attention for once, instead of more of the same AI news. Congratulations to him!

js2 3mo ago

Watch him do it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYi2f4ONEDg&t=180 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYi2f4ONEDg&t=180 What an incredible performance. I've seen a sub-4 mile in person. These guys are absolutely flying. All of them. And he beats the pants off that field. Splits (400m): 400m: 55.3 800m: 1:51.1 (56.8 second lap) 1200m: 2:46.5 (55.4 second lap) 1600m: 3:41.4 (54.9 third lap) Mile: 3:42.66 Splits (100m): 100m: 13.8 200m: 27.5 (13.7) 300m: 41.0 (13.5) 400m: 55.3 (14.3) 500m: 1:09.3 (14.0) 600m: 1:23.2 (13.9) 700m: 1:37.0 (13.8) 800m: 1:51.1 (14.1) 900m: 2:05.1 (14.0) 1000m: 2:18.8 (13.7) 1100m: 2:32.6 (13.8) 1200m: 2:46.5 (13.9) 1300m: 3:00.3 (13.8) 1400m: 3:14.0 (13.7) 1500m: 3:27.7 (13.7) 1600m: 3:41.4 (13.7) Mile: 3:42.66 (1.2 for the final 9.34m) Splits copied from https://xcancel.com/ChrisChavez/status/2078494868540637695 https://xcancel.com/ChrisChavez/status/2078494868540637695 Official results at https://london.diamondleague.com/programme-results/ https://london.diamondleague.com/programme-results/ Unfortunately you can't link directly to the 1 mile results. Scroll down to the table, select "1 Mile Men", then select "Reports", then "Race Analysis" and/or "Race Analysis Graphical". That leads to these two PDFs (not sure these links are stable): https://ps-cache.web.swisstiming.com/node/binaryData/ATH_PROD/LONDON_2026/PDF_ATHM1MILE---DIAMOND---FNL-000100--_C77A.PDF https://ps-cache.web.swisstiming.com/node/binaryData/ATH_PRO... https://ps-cache.web.swisstiming.com/node/binaryData/ATH_PROD/LONDON_2026/PDF_ATHM1MILE---DIAMOND---FNL-000100--_C78.PDF https://ps-cache.web.swisstiming.com/node/binaryData/ATH_PRO...

amai 3mo ago
He also came close to the world record at 1500 m which is at 3:26:00, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1500_metres https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1500_metres
haunter 3mo ago
fyi that video is region locked to the US only https://polsy.org.uk/stuff/ytrestrict.cgi?agreed=on&ytid=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DeYi2f4ONEDg https://polsy.org.uk/stuff/ytrestrict.cgi?agreed=on&ytid=htt... Other source: https://www.reddit.com/r/trackandfield/comments/1uzxv0m/josh_kerr_mile_world_record_at_the_london_diamond/ https://www.reddit.com/r/trackandfield/comments/1uzxv0m/josh...
3mo ago

davidw 3mo ago

What are the rules around pacers for this kind of thing? Are there separate records for with/without pacers?

HarHarVeryFunny 3mo ago
I don't know, but define a pacer ?! Someone with better ability to pace than yourself? Someone of lesser endurance willing to run a half race at a pace they can't sustain, but you can? What's the difference between having a pacer and another world class competitor trying to beat you that brings out your best ? What about slip streaming? Should we regard records differently where the winner stayed with the pack until a final sprint as opposed to front running the whole race?
- casey2 3mo ago
  Obviously. These are 2 different sports. There's a reason the front of a plane or boat looks different to the sides. They carefully paint these lines on the ground then ignore them. It's annoying watching the guy in first just stop running after 2 minutes.
  - HarHarVeryFunny 3mo ago
    > It's annoying watching the guy in first just stop running after 2 minutes. Perhaps, but in terms of the runner following the pacer there is no advantage vs them following someone in same class as themselves that can sustain that pace to the end of the race. It's certainly interesting to question how much modern gear has advanced records in some sports, but there are so many other variables too, some that change over time such as nutrition and training methods, and then factors such as individual genetics or even country/altitude of origin that mean records can never be exactly compared.
lynx__ 3mo ago
No, there is no official record with and without pacers. And arguably, that's why the Olympics is a bit rarer for middle- and long-distance world records (because you aren't allowed official pacers). You could probably track it down though.

steele 3mo ago

Scottish too

lysace 3mo ago

In Swedish news reports they were careful to specify that it was the "English mile" (sic, ish?). For clarity, the one that is used in UK, US and Liberia. It is exactly 1609.344 meters. Disambiguation (not readily available in non-simple English wikipedia): https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mile https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mile

casey2 3mo ago

Are the guys in first and second just windbreaking for him or what's going on? Very odd.

haunter 3mo ago
Pace runners aka rabbits https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacemaker_(running) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pacemaker_(running)

card_zero 3mo ago

The BBC headline writes it as "27-year mile world record", which works out at about one quarter inch per hour.

nianderwallace 3mo ago

Reaction from Kerr: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeE4S_d1tl0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DeE4S_d1tl0 Reaction from three other runners in that race: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z-MM1ArK88 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z-MM1ArK88 More info on Kerr's typical training week from https://www.dailymail.com/sport/othersports/article-15987481/Inside-Josh-Kerrs-audacious-bid-smash-mile.html https://www.dailymail.com/sport/othersports/article-15987481... : Monday - Ten mile easy run - 15 minutes of form drills, sprints over small hurdles - Rotate between sauna and cold tub Tuesday - Three-mile warm up, nine to ten miles continuous run at tempo pace, three miles cool down - Four x 120m strides - Session in the gym, lifting weights for up to 90 minutes Wednesday - Easy run lasting seven to eight miles - Rotate between sauna and cold tub Thursday - Ten to 11 miles at a moderate intensity - Plyometrics and dynamic exercises Friday - Workout on the track - Race-specific 1500m/mile sessions - Session in the gym, lifting weights for up to 90 minutes Saturday - Rest. Spends time walking dog with his wife Larimar Sunday - Long run of around 16 miles including some faster tempo pick-ups Probably in the 60-80 miles per week range.

hulitu 3mo ago

But can he beat the record for furlong ?