WORLD RUNNING CHAMPION JOSH KERR AIMS MILLE RECORD AT NEW LONDON ATHLETICS MEETING
Newly crowned World Indoor 3000m Champion, Josh Kerrhas confirmed he will attempt to break the men’s mile world record at the Novuna London Athletics Meet, part of the Wanda Diamond League series, on Saturday 18 July.
Kerr, who holds the British mile record in May 2024 with a time of 3:45.34, is currently sixth on the world all-time list. The long-standing world record of 3:43.13, held by Morocco’s Hicham El Gerouj since July 1999, is the mark the 28-year-old will be aiming to break when he lines up at the prestigious Emsley Car Mile at London Stadium.
Josh KERR, 3000 Meters Men, GBR
Cole Hawker, Men’s 3000m, USA
Yann SCHRUB, Men’s 3000m, FRA
Jacob KROP, 3000 Meters Men, KEN, photo by World Athletics
Speaking of his ambitions, dubbed “Project 222”, The two-time Olympic Games medalist said. “This record deserves a home, this record needs to be brought home and this is a British record. This is a British distance. It would be a disservice to Britain not to do this at home.”
“I’m really excited. There are no guarantees in it, this is a record that deserves a lot of respect. I think I’m honoring it by coming out and talking about it. I want to do that with the people I follow. I have a great team.”
It Emsley Carr Mile returns to the Novuna London Athletics Meet for only the third time in the past decade. First staged in 1953, the event was created by Sir William Carr in memory of his father, Sir Emsley Carr, who was a former editor. News of the World.
Referring to the legacy, Kerr said: “The Emsley Carr Mile has an incredible history and to be able to take part in the event in London is special.”
The Novuna London Athletics Meet, the world’s largest one-day athletics meet, is the eleventh meeting of the 2026 Wanda Diamond League. The series includes 15 of the most prestigious events in global athletics on four different continents and kicks off in Doha on May 8. It culminates in one final over two days in Brussels (September 4-5).
Buy your tickets now. https://www.britisathletics.org.uk/events-and-tickets/novuna-london-athletics-meet-2026/
FINISHING
About Wanda Diamond League
The Wanda Diamond League is a series of elite one-day track and field events. It includes 15 of the most prestigious global track and field events, delivering world-class competition for fans and athletes in all four corners of the globe.
The series provides a unique opportunity for athletes across the spectrum of athletics to regularly compete at the highest level during the outdoor season. Athletes in 32 different disciplines compete for points in 14 series of matches, aiming to win the two-day Wanda Diamond League final.
With events held in 13 different countries on four different continents, the Diamond League is one of the most truly global series in world sport.
In 2025, it welcomed 400,000 spectators in the most famous arenas on the planet and was broadcast on television in 170 different countries. It also achieved an online fan base of 5 million social media followers worldwide, recording over 1 billion impressions and over 900 million videos across all platforms.
The 2026 Diamond League season will begin in Doha on May 8 and conclude with the two-day series finale in Brussels on September 4-5.
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