Josh Kerr’s mile World Record
Some world records creep up on you unexpectedly. Some are the result of intense planning. Josh Kerr’s world record at the London stadium last weekend was very much in the second category.
Project 222, as Kerr and his team called it – based on the number of seconds he needed to find to beat El Guerrouj’s previous world record – was meticulously planned. Kerr is coached by Danny Mackey, but his team includes a nutritionist, a chef, a massage therapist and a psychologist. He has not changed his physiotherapist – she is his mom.
Obsession is a word that can fairly be used of Josh’s approach to the record – with even his ice baths lasting 222 seconds. He explains: “We have spent 15 years fine-tuning to get to this mile world record attempt”.
Talking to a group of British journalists the day before the record-breaking run, he stated clearly: “My goal tomorrow is to go out and break the mile world record that has stood for 27 years”.
He described the process, and the thinking which led him and his team to believe the July 2026 in London was the perfect time to hatch project 222: “I think having a year that we don’t have an Olympic Games or traditional world championships, you start to wonder what is my plan for the year. And over the last four years, I’ve created this team around me of people and brands that are capable of a lot. And we were at a point where I looked around, and I went, ‘this is a world-class set of people. I need a world-class goal.
Danny and I have talked about running this mile record for many years, but I didn’t feel like I was in shape for it or I didn’t feel like I had the team of people around me because this is not an individual pursuit – until now. This is a team of people who have worked tirelessly so I can show off the training, do my job, and go home. But it was also important to have it in a situation where we could affect as many people as possible: young athletes, a full stadium of 60,000 people, and doing it in the right event, in the right atmosphere. It’s taken a long time to get it ready, but I’m very, very happy and calm that it’s happening now”.
His reflection on where the track sits in the hierarchy of sport and entertainment – and his responsibility – was interesting: “That is very important. I think we are in a sport where we have to earn our media and earn our rights to be on mainstream television. And for a year that has Commonwealth Games, the Europeans, World Indoors, things like that, where it isn’t maybe the big draw that people normally have for us. And to do that, we have to have moments. We have to give reasons. So it is definitely a situation of ‘why not go after something like this in front of as many people as possible’, and that’s been a fun journey.
He also explained that it would have been easy to go under the radar and target the record without the added pressure of manifesting and announcing it as a world record attempt: “I’ve been told that a lot – mostly by my team. But we’re here now, and we’ve had a very smooth camp. And so I’m glad I did it now. It would be tough to sit here in front of you guys and be like, ‘well, it might happen or it might not’, attempt-wise. But to be here and be calm and focused and ready to go, it’s a very privileged position to be in. And to call your shot that many months in advance. I did the same with the men’s two-mile record at Millrose. It was kind of a similar situation, a little bit less; obviously, also an important record to the world of track and field. It’s been a really fun journey, and I like challenging myself. I like goals that are lofty, and I think the sport needs moments, and I was willing to give them.
An Intriguing scenario was put to him: that he might be setting up a world record race for another athlete to break the world record. He readily admitted: “Multiple people can break the old record tomorrow, for sure. I just think the way that my training has gone and the way that I envisage this race going, I think I’m going to have a good time with it tomorrow, for sure”. He added that he had always wanted it to be a race not just a time-trial: “I wanted it to be a race and I opened it up and Yared really fancied it and he’s been running great all season. We are represented by the same agent as well, so it’s just nice to have other great athletes out there with me. At this point in my career, I’ve been doing it for a long time. It’s just fun to have new challenges, and I’ve never really chased times like this. So that’s been fun to play with, but it’s definitely not an easy thing. So it’s a challenge”.
His response to the suggestion that he might fail again was interesting and revealed again his love of a challenge, of putting himself in a place where he is not comfortable: “As an athlete, I’m not scared of failing. It’s something that I was born with. I’m on the attack at all times, and I’m bold with what I talk about, but when the figures and the stats behind me are backing up my claims, I don’t see why I can’t go out there and do what my job is. And I think it’s important to tell people what your goals are. I think it keeps you honest; it keeps everyone honest within track and field and hopefully can bring a couple more eyeballs on it as well. But yeah, I’m not fearing that in any way. I’m just going out there and doing what I’ve said that I’m capable of doing. I’m trying to do something that no one’s ever done.
“There’s definitely a risk of failure, but it’s not something that’s on my mind particularly often. I’m going out there; I’ve had the best camp I’ve ever had in my life. I’ve been able to live a life that I’ve always wanted to live over the last six months in pursuit of this; it’s been focused, it’s been surrounded by amazing people. And I’ve already won that fight. I’ve shown the people in my corner what I’m capable of on the track and off the track within this process. And I’m going out there tomorrow to show you guys what I’ve been capable of over the last six months. So it’s a win-win for me. I’ve already shown the people that I care most about what I’m capable of. And so my goal is to share that dream and that vision and that athleticism to everyone tomorrow”.
I close with a personal reflection of Josh, which again says a lot about him. At Zurich at a Diamond League final, after his race, I asked him for a comment. He replied: “I can’t, I’m about to throw up!”. Fair enough. Ten minutes later I heard a voice: “Stuart”. He had come back – having thrown up – to do the interview. Only a special person would do that.
