Josh Kerr today produced the fastest mile of all-time, shattering the 27-year-old world record with a stunning run of 3:42.66 in front of sold out 60,000 London Stadium at a Novuna London Athletics Meeting to remember.
Having made his record breaking intentions clear in the months leading into the race, and with all gruelling training banked, Kerr set out on the tilt accompanied by a cohort of pacers, and with the backing of the crowd at the London Stadium.
The early signs were clear and positive, with Kerr and the pacer team right up and with the green light on the inside of the track, set to carry Kerr inside the standing world record of 3:43.13, set by the great Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999.
Through 800 metres in 1:50.63, and very much on pace, Kerr then took the front as the pacers stepped off. Even leaving the track light in his dust, Kerr swung onto the home straight for the final time with the stadium on its feet.
With one final haul for the line, Kerr stopped the clock at 3:42.66, putting a whole new ceiling on the men’s mile.
Post-race, an elated Kerr said: “It is very overwhelming. There was a lot of hype. I am surrounded by amazing people, so I have continued to put the work in, so I knew I had a 3:42 in me. I nearly lost it there at the end, but I got over the line. If I am to leave my mark on the sport, as a British athlete with the legends I have behind me, to follow in those footsteps, I have to deliver those performances.
“Those performances take every part of you, every part of your team. Out there, I am just the body, but there is an incredible amount of work behind the scenes. Today is a result of all that hard work. The last lap was incredible. I was deaf in the last 110 metres.”
There was a string of notable bests down the field, second-place finisher Yared Nuguse bringing up a season’s best time with 3:45.69, while Jake Heyward (Cardiff) was the pick of the other British representatives having produced a fine personal best of 3:46.73.
Joining Heyward in setting a lifetime best were Arlo Ludewick (Norman Poole, Herne Hill) with 3:48.17, Thomas Keen (Mark Vile, Cambridge & Coleridge) with 3:49.33, and Archie Davis with 3:51.09.
Straight after, the women’s 800m took centre stage as the final action of the day, with Keely Hodgkinson (Trevor Painter, Leigh Harriers) setting her sights on a return to winning ways in front of a home crowd.
Hodgkinson set out hard and up with the pacer, taking the bell inside 57 seconds. Motoring away down the back straight, Hodgkinson entered the home straight with a notable lead which held to the line as she notched victory with a swift 1:56.21.
400m hurdles specialist turned 800m runner, Femke Broeders-Bol finished strongly, chipping away at Hodgkinson’s lead and crossing over in 1:56.46 for second, with Ethiopia’s Tsige Duguma running a season’s best of 1:56.92 for third. Brits Jemma Reekie (Jon Bigg, Kilbarchan) and Issy Boffey (Luke Gunn, Enfield & Haringey) finished fifth and sixth respectively, their times 1:58.60 and 1:58.85.
Hodgkinson reflected: “There are mixed emotions today. I am going to take the positives because it has been a tough couple of weeks. Not everything always goes to plan, but I am proud with how I have dealt with it. The only reason I came here today is because I wanted to race in front of a home crowd. I am happy to get that out of the way and focus on the Europeans next. Life is sometimes tough, and it doesn’t always go the way you want it to. I dream big, but I am living in the present.”
The women’s discus was won in stunning fashion by Cierra Jackson (USA), the American producing a Diamond League record as she threw 71.72m in her final throw throw of the competition to clinch victory, moving her up from fourth into first.
Jackson’s compatriot Valarie Sion was therefore left to settle for second courtesy of her best effort of 68.39m, with Dutchwoman Jorinde van Klinken claiming third with 67.99m.
The opening Diamond League track action, Karsten Warholm brought the stadium to its feet with a scorching world-lead run of 46.61 in the men’s 400m hurdles. The Norwegian’s trademark aggressive approach out from the gun saw him build an early lead that only extended into the straight, the finish an emphatic one as he also took down his own meeting record.
Behind Warholm, there was a national record for Emil Agyekum (GER) with 47.45 in second, while British representation saw Alastair Chalmers clocked 48.81 from lane one.
In a field of sprint heavyweights, Olympic 100m champion Julian Alfred (LCA) showed just how clinical she is over the 200m with a rapid meeting record time of 21.66 to take the win in dominant fashion. Two fellow Olympic champions followed her in, Gabby Thomas (USA) and Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH), the pair clocking 21.81 and 22.24 for second and third respectively.
Dina Asher-Smith (Blackheath & Bromley) produced a season’s best run of 22.28 for fourth, with Amy Hunt also produced her best yet this year, running 22.30 for fifth. Success Eduan (Anita Richardson, Sale Harriers) clocked 22.53 for sixth.
The men’s 100m was won in a scorching time of 9.84 (-0.7), Nigeria Kayinsola Ajayi in a league of his own to take the tape. Oblique Seville ran 9.87 for second, with newly crowned British champion Romell Glave (Michael Afilaka, Croydon) running a personal best of 9.95 for third. Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills, Blackheath & Bromley) ran 10.02 for seventh, with Jeremiah Azu (Helen Patricia James, Cardiff) eighth in 10.07.
Marileidy Paulino (DOM) judged her race brilliantly to come away with victory in the women’s 400m, the Olympic champion keeping something in the reserve for the home straight to move through from fourth to first, dipping over in 48.97.
Henriette Jaeger continued a fine day for Norway, her terrific run rewarded with a personal best and national record of 49.15 for second, with Stacey Ann Williams (JAM) third with 49.52.
Yemi Mary John (Alan James, Woodford Green Essex Ladies) was seventh in 50.24, and there was a terrific personal best and new Welsh Record of 50.45 for Charlotte Henrich (Nigel Stickings, Invicta East Kent) in eighth.
The men’s equivalent saw Rai Benjamin (USA) edge out Matt Hudson-Smith, Benjamin’s personal best run of 44.05 doing enough to hold off the Brit’s late push for the line. Jacory Patterson (USA) claimed third with 44.25, while Brit Ben Jefferies (Dean Garrett, Bristol & West) was eighth in 45.30.
Taken through the bell in a red-hot 49.4 seconds by the pacemaker, it was Brandon Miller’s (USA) day in the men’s 800m as he produced a huge personal best to break away over the final 50 metres or so to take the tape in 1:42.19.
Also running a substantial personal best in second was Mark English (IRL), his time 1:42.97, while Max Burgin (Halifax) took third with a lean on the line for 1:43.30, and fellow Brit Alex Botterrill (City of York) finished ninth in 1:44.71
Ja’Kobe Tharp (USA) took the spoils in the men’s 110m hurdles, a clean race seeing him rewarded with rapid meeting record time of 12.89. Kendry Menendez (CUB) produced a personal best for second in 13.01, Trey Cunningham was third in 13.12, and Brit Sam Bennett (Steven Surety, Basildon AC) finishing eighth with 13.53.
There was a rare retirement for Mondo Duplantis in the men’s pole vault as American Sam Kendricks took the win with a brilliant 5.95m and clean scorecard at all cleared heights. Duplantis managed the same height, but took second on countback after retiring at the height, with third-placer Kurtis Marschall (AUS) also going clear at the same mark.
Women’s 4x100m relay action saw British success, with the quartet of Dina Asher-Smith, Amy Hunt, Imani Lansiquot (Sutton & District) and Darryl Neita (Cambridge Harriers) scorching to a season’s best clocking of 42.06.
Led out strongly by Asher-Smith, a trio of slick handovers saw the team romp away to victory by over a second, Australia crossing over in 43.08 for second.
The women’s 3000m came to life with three laps or so left, athletes spread over three lanes at the bell as wrestling for the front commenced.
Hannah Nuttall (Helen Clitheroe, Charnwood) wrestled the lead momentarily, only to be passed on the outside by Jess Hull (AUS), who then surged away from the field to take the win in 8:24.69 from compatriot Rose Davies – who ran a personal best of 8:25.38 – with Ireland’s Sarah Healy finishing third in 8:25.63, also a personal best.
Nuttall was rewarded for her bold running and tilt at the front, her time of 8:26.48 a huge six-second personal best. Elsewhere, Laura Muir (Laura Weightman, Dundee Hawkhill) produced a season’s best of 8:31.77 for 11th, Megan Keith (Ross Cairns, Inverness Harriers) was 14th in 8:32.58, Eloise Walker (Trevor Painter, Edinburgh AC) ran a personal best of 8:34.80 for 15th, and Innes Fitzgerlad 17th in 8:35.42.
The back straight crowd witnessed a 7m jump courtesy of event winner Malaika Mhambo (GER), her mark of 7.05m (1.2) far and away the best on the day in the women’s long jump – and a welcome sight for Mhambo after four no marks in the rounds prior.
Claire Bryant (USA) saved her best jump until last, a fine 6.94m (1.2) moving her into second, with Larissa Iapichino (ITA) made to settle for third following a best effort of 6.82m (0.3). British interest saw Lucy Hadaway (Matt Barton, City of York) finish sixth with a best of 6.64m (1.3), and Jazmin Sawyers (Aston Moore, City of Stoke) eighth with 6.53 (1.1).
The women’s high jump was won by Nicola Olyslagers (AUS), a best height of 2.01m and a cleaner scorecard seeing her edge out Yaroslava Mahuchikh (UKR), who cleared the same height for second. Eleanor Patterson (AUS) was third with 1.96m, while Brit Morgan Lake (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) finished eight following a best clearance of 1.85m.
The domestic women’s 400m was won by Emily Newnham (Nick Dakin, Shaftesbury Barnet) in a huge personal best time of 50.32, with second placer Lina Nielsen also running the quickest time of her life with 50.61. Nicole Yeargin claimed third in a season’s best of 50.98.
Jack Higgins (Mark Hookway, Tonbridge AC) came out on top in the domestic men’s 800m race, his winning time of 1:45.15 a season’s best. Henry Jonas (Chris McGeorge, City of Norwich) ran 1:45.26 for second, with Justin Davies (Martin Rush, Team Bath) third in 1:45.99, both men setting season’s best times, too.
The men’s wheelchair 1500m saw Marcel Hug once again reign supreme at the London Stadium, the Swiss athlete dubbed ‘The Silver Bullet’ leading from gun to tape to edge out Samuel Carter (AUS), their times 2:59.24 to 2:59.61. Samuel Rizzo (AUS) completed the top three, clocking 3:00.20, while Brits Nathan Maguire (Ste Hoskins, Kirkby) and Danny Sidbury (Christine Parsloe, Sutton & District) came fifth and seventh respectively, Maguire in 3:00.50, Sidbury in 3:00.98.
Zac Shaw (Leon Baptiste, Cleethorpes) won the men’s 100m ambulant race with a season’s best time of 10.97, compatriot Kevin Santos (Michael Utting, City of Norwich) right on his heels with 10.98 for second. Thomas Young (Joe McDonnell, Loughborough) clocked 11.02 for fourth, and Segun Samuel (TJ Ossai, Be Fit) was seventh in 11.58.
The women’s equivalent was won by Ireland’s Orla Comerford in 11.79, with Sophie Hahn (Joe McDonnell, Charnwood) fourth in 12.99, Olivia Breen (Aston Moore, City of Portsmouth) fifth in 13.01, Maddie Down (Mike Bennett, Halesowen) seventh in 13.05, and Macey Hand (Camilla Stewart, Wenlock Olympians) eighth in 13.48.
Ben Sandilands (Steven Doig, Fife AC) was in a league of his own as he took victory in the men’s ambulant 1500m with a time of 3:49.26, with Steven Bryce (Steven Doig, Fife AC) holding firm for second in 4:00.81 from Ireland’s Brandon Ballard (4:01.05)
