Who is Josh Kerr, the Edinburgh Athletics Club runner who has smashed near 40-year UK mile record

Edinburgh runner Josh Kerr has triumphed in his highly anticipated showdown with Norwegian rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen thanks to a remarkable world-leading run of three minutes, 45.34 seconds.

Josh Kerr has smashed Steve Cram’s 39-year-old national record overnight to claim victory in the mile race at the Diamond League meet in Eugene, Oregon.

The Edinburgh runner won a highly-anticipated showdown with Norwegian rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen thanks to a remarkable, world-leading run of three minutes 45.34 seconds. Cram had held the British record since 1985 with a time of three minutes 46.32 seconds.

It is a remarkable feat from Kerr, and continues an incredible string of results over the past 12 months for the middle distance runner, including winning gold in the 1500m at last year’s world championships.

Here is how Kerr has made his rise to the very top of his sport.

How did Josh Kerr first get involved in running?

Kerr was born in Morningside, Edinburgh on October 8, 1997 and would attend George Watson’s College. Despite having strong rugby links in his family, with older brother Jake playing as a professional rugby player, Kerr would instead turn to running.

He started with the Edinburgh Athletics Club (AC) at the age of nine. By 16, he had started looking abroad to the college system in the US with the aim of competing in the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA). He ultimately signed with a coach at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque at the age of 17, earning a full athletics scholarship.

In the summer before joining college, he would showcase his future potential by winning gold in the 1500m at the 2015 European Athletics Junior Championships.

Kerr would go on to win three NCAA titles while at the University of New Mexico and set the collegiate record in the 1500m.

But one of his crowning junior achievements as a teenager was his first national title in the indoor mile, achieved in March 2017, when he defeated 15-time NCAA champion Edward Cheserek.

Outside of school, Kerr has described the support his family gave him as “absolutely necessary” to what he has achieved in his sporting career, saying they were very involved and it was exactly what he needed.

“To get a little bit of guidance and support from your family makes such a difference and is very necessary from an early age because there’s loads of adversity that comes your way,” he said. “Whether it is little injuries, struggling with motivation or having trouble training, those are the things which parents can really help with, they are a real key to my success.”

What has Josh Kerr achieved as a professional runner?

Kerr turned professional in June 2018, meaning he bypassed his final year of eligibility in the NCAA. He signed a sponsorship deal with Seattle-based Brooks Sports and started his training under coach Danny Mackey.

Dividing his training time between Seattle and Albuquerque, Kerr would progress to finish sixth in the 1500m final at the 2019 World Championships before qualifying for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics courtesy of a national title.

In May 2021, Kerr set a personal best of 1:45.74 in the 800m, and subsequently won his first national championship in the 1500m for Great Britain the following month.

The Edinburgh runner ran in the 1500m final in Tokyo on August 7, with his time of three minutes and 29 seconds - a personal best at the time - securing him bronze.

Kerr said at the time: "There is a phenomenal number of athletes out here training in the cold and dark weather and I find it hugely motivating to remember that I was doing the same back then. I’m trying to give back to these young people what I wanted at that age.”

The records have tumbled in the three years since for Kerr, but not without some setbacks.

In February 2022, Kerr ran 3:48.87 for the indoor mile in Boston, with the time breaking Eamonn Coghlan’s European indoor mile record - a benchmark that had stood since 1983 - as well as Peter Elliot’s British indoor mile record, which had stood for 32 years.

But at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham later that year he would finish 12th and stone dead last in the 1500m final.

That disappointment would kickstart a string of dynamic results. One of the greatest achievements of his career to date came in August 2023, when Kerr defeated Norwegian favourite Jakob Ingebrigtsen in the 1500m final at the 2023 World Athletics Championships.

In February, Kerr claimed the first world record of his career in New York to underline his intent to strike Olympic gold in Paris next summer, making good on his pledge to wrestle the indoor two-mile mark away from Mo Farah with a brilliant victory at the Millrose Games in 8:00.67.

Kerr, who is firmly in gold medal contention for this summer’s Paris Olympics, has said of his ambitions: “I known I’ve always had the capabilities of being the best in the world, but having the ability to do it and not just say I’m good enough … I’ve been in all these finals and not quite been able to do it, so it’s nice to have one in the bag knowing my mind and body are capable of that big moment.

“I’m thinking like a champion and my life is getting structured like a world champion, so instead of thinking I’m good enough, I’m just going to be on that roadmap to success.

“I’ve had this Olympic circle for a long time and I knew at age 26 I will be at the peak of my career in the 1500m and this would be the one so I’m excited to continue that dream.”