Josh Kerr vs the Mile World Record: Can he make athletics history in London?

Georgia Pearce
Fri, 03 Apr 2026 11:12:39 +0000

The mile world record could finally be broken, and Britain’s Josh Kerr is aiming to do it on home soil.

In this episode Paul Coyte looks at one of the most iconic records in athletics, the men’s mile world record of 3:43.13, set by Hicham El Guerrouj back in 1999.

Now, more than 25 years later, that record is under serious threat. With the London Diamond League providing the stage, Josh Kerr is targeting a historic performance in front of a home crowd. Fresh from major championship success and back to peak fitness, this could be the moment British athletics reclaims one of its most famous records.

The mile has a rich history in the UK, from Roger Bannister breaking the four-minute barrier in 1954, to legends like Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Steve Cram dominating the event for decades, this is a distance deeply rooted in British sporting history.

WATCH ABOVE.