Inside The World Record : Josh Kerr Makes History
We spent the weekend with Josh Kerr as he chased the mile world record - from arrival to warmup to the moment it all came together. This is the behind-the-scenes story of race weekend and a race that will forever live in the history of the sport.
Video Transcript
It's not just a race, it is the race.
The confidence that he's been putting out there, it's amazing to see that.
But at the end of the day, you've gotta be race ready.
He sets one big, big goal a year, and this is it.
Until I saw those workouts that Kerr's been putting together, I wouldn't have guessed that anyone was, was gonna be ready to do this.
What Josh is doing takes bravery.
The mile record is not just a number on the scoreboard, but it's proof of what is possible when the body, mind, and heart align beautifully in painful harmony.
And then a man who's put a bit of pressure on himself by announcing a world record bid over the mile.
He is a double world indoor champion, the world 1500 meter champion, and the UK record holder for the mile.
Please welcome Josh Kerr.
It's been a date that I've had circled on the calendar for a long time, but you know, the closer it gets, the more calm I seem to be and, and everything's going to plan.
Oh, you know, we're, we're a day out from history, that's the word.
Excited.
A little pressure, but it's fun.
It's really nice, like I like this, so I think we will do it tomorrow, great job.
I have good pacemaker next to me, so I will follow him, and Josh will follow me, so I think we'll do a great job.
Josh is, like, willing to do everything in his power to be the best.
You know, like, he's just so diligent with all the details and, like, he works so hard.
10 years of running with him, I've never seen him look fitter in my life, and, uh- Ace that's a scary place to be.
You know, there's a little bit of unknown.
First, because no one's run as fast as he's trying to run a mile.
And do you think a lot of the interest is because this world record has stood for so long to such a famous figure in the sport?
He was an Olympic champion.
It's You were only five, or what, two when it was- Yeah, one or two, yeah when it was set.
So it is an iconic record, isn't it, for good reason?
Yeah.
I mean, look, the, some of the events that we have up here are, are some of the most iconic races, within the, within the programming, and I think the reason the mile is, is, you know, as amazing as it is is because people understand it.
People understand the mile.
When you, you know, walking do- down the street, people ask you, you know, how fast your marathon, how fast your 100, how fast your mile.
That's, those are the kind of questions that come up, and I think it's important to respect that, and for it to last as long as it did, it shows how difficult that record is.
You know, it's not gonna be an easy task, and it's time for that record to, to have a real go at it, and, and I'm gonna be that guy to do it.
And when you think about the sub four-minute mile, the world was saying it's impossible.
It's just hard.
Like, when he gets to 1200 tomorrow, he, if he, and he's under pace, he's still gonna have to run like a 54, 55.
Like, it's just, it's just really hard.
So what Josh has been doing is really seeking self-discovery to understand himself.
It just happens to show up on the track because that's his nature, his self-discovery.
And so the thing that he does well is he's curious, and he wants to know where that edge is.
I don't think we ever come to our full potential, but I think Josh is the kind of person that will come close.
He does that work, and he shows up very intentionally, very present, and he stays in the process, and that's what makes a champion, and that's what he's capable of doing.
My body is capable of the mark, and so my job tomorrow is to have my mind to be available to, to let my body do its job.
Well, there's the man arguably of the moment, and Josh Kerr in the mile.
It's project 222, and Tim will explain why.
Well, 222 seconds equates to three minutes 42 seconds, and that's what, he wants to run for the mile today, or at least he wants a world record, the three four, the 222.
Some would call a bit optimistic.
The world record actually right now is 3:43.13 by Hicham El Guerrouj, set back in Rome in 1999, all of 27 years ago.
Josh Kerr there in the black, center of picture, but the, pace that he's chasing is super quick.
What we do know is that he's in great form.
He ran a 1200 meters, that's a three-lap time trial, in 2:42, and that, I think, is an unofficial world record for 1200.
Josh Kerr full of confidence.
He's been loud and proud about his optimism that he can break the world record.
It's a very rare thing, but I like it.
The pacemaking though here needs to be absolutely perfect.
Well, they go.
Well, we're looking for 55.1 at 400 meters for, Josh Kerr, and then 800 meters in 1:50.5.
Those, both of those times aggressively faster than El Guerrouj's splits when he set the world record in Rome back in 1999.
Josh Kerr oozing confidence.
Can he get the world record here?
It would be quite unique if he can do it here today after predicting it for months.
Yeah, coming up to the, 400 split.
54.75.
Just a little bit too aggressive potentially, but looking really good there, Josh Kerr.
This is, Kerr against the clock.
The crowd know, and they're right behind him.
Well, the sports pages galore and websites everywhere have been oozing information about this world record attempt.
At the moment, they're on schedule.
Indeed, a little bit too quick through that first 400 meters.
Maybe Josh Kerr, the pacer, went through 454.7.
You know, I suspect 55.1 is about what he was on, maybe a little bit slower.
So Josh Kerr in third place, looking perfect at the moment as they come through 800 meters.
1:50.63.
It's just about perfect.
We can see a gap developing now.
Back to Birnbaum in fourth place with Nguse tagging the heels of Josh Kerr, who has to take it on from h- He was hoping that, Rudolph could last a little bit longer.
Well, the crowd sensing that this is the moment.
They're out on their own now.
The pacemaker's gone, and Yared Nuguse, don't underestimate his role in this.
He could propel Josh Kerr into the history books here.
The crowd around us are going crazy.
They are going absolutely crazy, and rightly so.
Just over 200 meters to run.
Josh Kerr and the pressure with half a lap to run.
Has he got the legs here as he drives on?
He's twice world indoor champion, the 3,000 meters.
We know he's got incredible strength.
He comes into the straight now.
He's gotta keep working, though.
Nuguse is defeated.
He's 15 meters back.
The crowd here on their feet in the London arena as he strides home.
Josh Kerr here, the strength of Scotland, the strength of Britain behind him.
What's the clock?
It's gonna be mighty fast, and surely he's gonna break the world record.
He does.
He obliterates the world record.
Josh Kerr takes down what he has been predicting since late March.
Wow, that is what you would call the ballsiest world record in the history of middle distance racing.
Jessica Ennis-Hill, herself not unfamiliar with gold medals in this stadium, is one of those watching and applauding.
And Josh Kerr has just taken the world record for the mile, set years and years ago by Hicham El Guerrouj in the raging heat of Rome back in s- July 1999.
He's taken the record to the cleaners, 3:42.66.
He's lopped almost half a second off that record.
What more can you say about this fella?
You run out of superlatives because that, for him, is very special indeed.
I suspect Steve Cram's sitting right beside, behind us here in the Olympic Stadium.
They call it the London Stadium, but I call it the Olympic Stadium.
I suspect Steve Cram is finding the right words for that because he's been there.
He knows this territory, a former world record holder.
And Chris, the world record's back in the hands of Great Britain, and you and I would both go, tongue in cheek, it's where it belongs.
The world record holder for the Phillips mile, Josh Kerr.
Welcome to the Athlete's Challenge, my friend.
On the starting line, give us your honest take.
Did you, did you truly believe it was happening today?
Yeah, I did.
You know, for me, I put the work in.
I thought on my best day I could take a, a chunk out of it and, on my, my day today, apparently I could only take half a second off, but that's okay.
You know, we're, beggars can't be choosers, but we had a blast out there.
The crowd was incredible.
I thought, that last lap, to be honest, I, I relaxed into it a little bit.
I saw the split at 46.
I was like, all right, it's happening.
It's all day.
I just need to not slow down.
Came through that 1500 spot in 27 point.
I was like, ooh, PB season.
And then I slowed down that last 100, so to be honest, my last five steps I had to start grabbing for it.
But, you know, I had a blast out there, and that's everything I needed to do today, so I'm very proud.
To be honest, I, I've said it in a couple interviews today, I am surrounded by the most incredible people that allow me to shape my mind and, you know, I was The best analogy that we worked with today was that my two pacemakers set the, the tone, the river, they set the stream, and all I had to do was sit in that water for as long as I could, follow it and not fight it.
And, you know, I said that I wasn't on a chase today.
I was flowing with the conditions that were set, and I just needed to not slow down.
And so I had a blast out there.
My ears might have gone, my legs might have gone, but I was able to get the lion, and it looked damn good doing it.
I don't know.
I see these brands on here, but- Yeah.
We put a lot of work into this kind of stuff.
And, look, you know, I put a lot of pressure on myself 'cause I know that pressure makes diamonds, and I just knew I could turn up and, and get it right on the day.
These are the moments you work towards when you're a kid dreaming.
Thank you guys so much.
I got into the sport when I was eight years old.
I owe it to my parents.
I owe it to the, the people around me, my family to, to continue me on my hard days, and I waited for those Workout Wednesdays on FloTrack.
I didn't take a visit to the US.
I actually just ended up going out there 'cause I saw the campus tour on FloTrack.
So listen, you know, when I moved out there in 2015, you can blame FloTrack for me to go to University of New Mexico.
I trusted my staff out there.
I trusted Danny when I first met him, and I trusted the brands that work with me now.
You know, I've been lucky enough to work with Brooks for the last eight years.
They put a heck and a, of an effort in, and I just try to share that journey and, and anyone that would watch and listen, I, I believe in myself, and I'm very grateful for everyone.
And yeah, hopefully can continue that, but that's my legacy.
That's everything I have for the sport.
Keep it up, man.
Keep it up.
Yeah.
Enjoy this moment.
Thank you guys so much.
It's one that- Congratulations those people will never get.
Amazing.
Josh Kerr, everybody.
