Josh Kerr Breaks 27-Year Men's Mile World Record With 3:42.66 in London
LONDON — Britain's Josh Kerr broke the men's one-mile world record with a time of 3:42.66 at the London Diamond League on Saturday, World Athletics confirmed. The performance eclipsed the 3:43.13 set by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj in Rome in 1999, a mark that had stood for 27 years.
By Source Reporters Newsdesk
Thu, 27 August 2026 · 1 min read
LONDON — Britain's Josh Kerr broke the men's one-mile world record with a time of 3:42.66 at the London Diamond League on Saturday, World Athletics confirmed. The performance eclipsed the 3:43.13 set by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj in Rome in 1999, a mark that had stood for 27 years.
Kerr, the Olympic 1500m bronze medallist, produced a decisive final-lap surge before a home crowd at the London Stadium, according to BBC Sport. British Athletics said the run headlined the Novuna London Athletics Meet and ranks among the most significant British track results of the year.
World Athletics said the time was ratified immediately by the sport's governing body. El Guerrouj's record had been regarded as one of athletics' most durable benchmarks.
## Kerr's Record and the Global Picture
The mile remains a blue-riband event on the international calendar. African runners continue to dominate the longer distances, underscoring the depth of middle- and long-distance talent worldwide ahead of the 2026 championship season, in which Nigerian and wider African athletes are expected to feature prominently.
**Internal links (suggested):**
- /sport/london-diamond-league-2026-results
- /sport/world-athletics-championships-2026-preview
**Sources:** worldathletics.org, BBC, britishathletics.org.uk
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