Men's mile record broken for first time since 1999

July 18, 2026 / 4:50 PM EDT

/ AP

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Josh Kerr, the British runner who helped stoke a revival in middle-distance drama on the track, added a new chapter Saturday by running the mile in 3 minutes, 42.66 seconds to break the 27-year-old world record for the distance.At a Diamond League meet in London, Kerr broke Moroccan great Hicham El Guerrouj's mark of 3 minutes, 43.13 seconds, set in Rome in 1999. The 28-year-old native of Edinburgh celebrated with a lap of honor at London Stadium."It was just me, my shoes and the track," he said. "I was absolutely deaf in that last 110 meters."

Josh Kerr of Team Great Britain celebrates after winning the 1 mile men's final and setting a new world record during the Novuna London Athletics Meet, part of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League, at London Stadium on July 18, 2026, in London, England.