Josh Kerr's Mile World Record: A Lesson in Belief, Support and Teamwork

On Saturday 18 July 2026, at the London Diamond League, Josh Kerr ran 3 minutes 42.66 seconds (3:42.66) to break the mile world record, a mark that had stood for 27 years. Hicham El Guerrouj's mark of 3:43.13, set in Rome in 1999, was one of the oldest records in men's track. Kerr didn't sneak up on it either. He called his shot back in March, named the attempt "Project 222", and then delivered in front of a roaring home crowd at the London Stadium.

But for me, Kerr's incredible performance is more than 3 minutes and 42 seconds of outstanding running. It's a demonstration of belief, support and teamwork, three things that have been vital to my own rebuild and return to running after a cancer diagnosis.

Belief: from Bannister's four-minute mile to Project 222

In 1954, Roger Bannister turned up at the Iffley Road track believing the four-minute mile could be broken, a feat that the science and thinking of the time said was impossible, beyond what the human body was capable of. Bannister approached it with a growth mindset. He knew, he just knew, it was possible. And on 6 May 1954, he proved it.

Belief is a powerful tool when it comes to running, and never more so than running after cancer. Rebuilding from cancer, and wanting to move from marathon to ultra distance, at a time when I was laid up in bed after the operation and the effects of chemotherapy, I had to believe it was possible. To rebuild. To increase distance. To run again.

And that belief has been tested on many an ultra since!

Kerr had it too. Before Saturday, his personal best was more than two seconds outside the record. He didn't just believe he could nudge it. He believed he could smash it. And he did.

Support and teamwork: no runner does it alone

Kerr didn't do it alone. Two training partners paced him through the race, his sponsor built him custom spikes, and a whole team spent months planning every detail of Project 222.

Neither have I done this alone. The support of family, friends, the Instagram community and the team at Runna have been, and continue to be, instrumental in my rebuilding. Running is often a solo effort, and when you stand on that start line it's all about you. But getting there involves so many unseen people.

And then there's the crowd. Take a city marathon like London, or the London2Brighton 100K, where the support from complete strangers who cheer, clap and shout encouragement gives the legs, the body and the soul an energy boost Red Bull would be envious of. Kerr said he was "absolutely deaf" in the final 110 metres from the noise of the London crowd carrying him home. Every runner who's turned onto The Mall knows exactly what he means.

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The mile world record comes home to Britain

I'm incredibly proud to see the mile world record back in the UK. We have a long history with the mile, from Bannister breaking four minutes, through Coe, Ovett and Cram trading the record in the eighties, to Kerr becoming the seventh Briton to hold it. Forty-one years after Steve Cram last held the record for Britain, it's home again.

Kerr's run gives me the motivation to get up, lace up and get out, chasing my dreams on every run.

I hope you feel the same.

-Andy

Key facts: Josh Kerr's mile world record

• New world record: 3:42.66, set 18 July 2026 at the London Diamond League (London Stadium)

• Previous record: 3:43.13, Hicham El Guerrouj, Rome, 1999, a record that stood for 27 years

• Kerr is the seventh Briton to hold the mile world record, and the first since Steve Cram in 1985

• Roger Bannister ran the first sub-four-minute mile (3:59.4) at Oxford on 6 May 1954