Josh Kerr Shatters 27-Year Men's Mile World Record With 3:42.66 in London
LONDON — Britain's Josh Kerr shattered 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 mark broke the 3:43.13 set by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj in Rome in 1999, a record that had stood for 27 years.
By Source Reporters Newsdesk
Thu, 27 August 2026 · 1 min read
LONDON — Britain's Josh Kerr shattered 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 mark broke the 3:43.13 set by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj in Rome in 1999, a record that had stood for 27 years.
Kerr, the Olympic 1500m bronze medallist, produced a sustained final-lap surge to overhaul the long-standing benchmark 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 performances of the year.
World Athletics said the time was immediately ratified by the sport's governing body. The previous record had been widely considered one of athletics' most durable marks.
## Kerr's Record in Context
The mile remains one of the sport's blue-riband events. African athletes continue to dominate the longer-distance ranks, underscoring the global depth of middle- and long-distance running ahead of the 2026 season's major championships, where Nigerian and wider African runners 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
Source Reporters corrects errors promptly. Spotted something wrong? Tell us — read our editorial standards and corrections policy.