Editor’s Note: This is Stuart Weir’s best piece, in my opinion. Stuart Weir loves to write 3 part series on key athletes. He has done so for Amy Hunt, Laura Muir, and Molly Caudrey, among others. Our senior writer for the UK/Europe is writing a three-part series on Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr, and how they came through a Scottish Club, the Edinburgh Athletics Club, and how they have won World Championships medals.
Two Lads from Edinburgh AC – part 1
It is remarkable that the middle distance at the world level has been dominated by two lads from one running club, Edinburgh Athletics Club. In the UK, with no college track and field scene on anything like the US scale, no college sports scholarships, most athletes start their journey in a club. Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr started theirs at Edinburgh AC.
Wightman is 31, Kerr is 28. Wightman is based in the UK, Kerr in the US, but Kerr recalls competing in the same meet for the club with Wightman as a teenager. According to the World Athletics website, they have faced each other 15 times, with Wightman leading 8-7 in head-to-heads.
In terms of major medals, it is 6-5 to Wightman:
Jake Wightman
World Championship 2022 Gold 1500m
World Championship 2025 Silver 1500m
European Championship 2018 Bronze 1500m
European Championship 2022 Silver 800m
Commonwealth Games 2018 Bronze 1500m (plus 4th at 800m)
Commonwealth Games 2022 Bronze 1500m
Josh Kerr
Olympic Games 2021 Bronze 1500m
Olympic Games 2024 Silver 1500m
World Championships 2023 Gold 1500m
World Indoors 2024 Gold 3000m
World Indoors 2026 Gold 3000m
Both have been unlucky with injuries. Jake Wightman, who won the World Championship in 2022, missed the entire 2023 season and suffered another injury in his final training session before the Paris Olympics. Kerr got injured in the 2025 World Championships.
Their path from Edinburgh AC to the podium is very different. Kerr got a scholarship to the University of New Mexico and has been coached by Danny Mackey since 2019. Kerr tells an amusing story of having his interview at 17 and being too young to sign the acceptance papers! Jake Wightman has always been based in the UK and was coached by his father, Geoff Wightman, until 2025. Jake is now coached by his future father-in-law, John Hartigan.
The 2022 World Championship Gold medal led to the ironic video of Geoff as stadium announcer, commenting on his son’s win.
I am privileged to have been in the stadium for all but one of Jake’s championship races and most of Josh’s and to have spoken to both of them on a number of occasions at events and away from events.
In parts 2 and 3, I will draw on those conversations more.
Stuart’s interview with Geoff Wightman immediately after Jake’s win in Oregon 2022
Geoff Wightman, father and coach to Jake, on his son’s World Championship win
