On July 18, 2026, Josh Kerr ran a mile in 3 minutes and 42.66 seconds at the Novuna London Athletics Meet. The record had belonged to Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco since 1999 — 27 years of seeming invincibility. Now it belongs to Kerr.

  • 3:42.66 — Josh Kerr's new mile world record
  • 3:43.13 — El Guerrouj's previous record, set in Rome on July 7, 1999
  • 0.47 seconds — the margin by which Kerr broke the 27-year-old mark
  • 60,000 spectators inside a sold-out London stadium for the historic run

The Record That Seemed Untouchable

El Guerrouj's 3:43.13 wasn't just a world record — it was widely considered one of the most durable marks in athletics. Set in Rome in the summer of 1999, it survived a generation of elite milers, including some of the fastest middle-distance runners the sport had ever produced. For nearly three decades, the mile seemed to belong to El Guerrouj alone.

Kerr, a 28-year-old Scottish runner representing Great Britain, had been building toward this moment all year. He publicly announced his intention before the London Diamond League, naming the effort "Project 222" — a reference to running 222 seconds, the target he had set for himself.

He ran 222.66. Close enough to make history.

"That last 350 meters was the most fun 40 seconds of my life." — Josh Kerr, after the race

A Year Already Defined by Excellence

The London record didn't come from nowhere. Kerr had already won the world indoor 3000 metres title for the second time at the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland, in March. The London Diamond League meet was then structured specifically to give him the elite field, controlled pacing, and stadium atmosphere needed to attempt the record.

What followed exceeded even optimistic expectations. Kerr crossed the line to become the first human in history to run a mile in under 3:43 — and he did it in front of a roaring capacity crowd. Footage of the final lap circulated worldwide within hours.

The British Parliament marked the achievement formally: MPs tabled an Early Day Motion citing Kerr's "outstanding hard work, dedication and commitment in achieving this historic milestone."

What This Means for the Mile

The Guinness World Records) official listing now reads 3:42.66 — Josh Kerr, Great Britain, July 18, 2026, London.

Mile records carry a weight in athletics that few other distances share. The four-minute barrier — broken by Roger Bannister on May 6, 1954 — defined an era. El Guerrouj's 1999 mark defined another. Kerr's run doesn't just update a number in a database; it opens a new chapter in a discipline that has captivated runners and spectators for over a century.

The mile is now sub-3:43. And if Bannister's era taught us anything, it's that once a barrier falls, it tends to keep falling.

For now, the record belongs to Josh Kerr — a Scottish runner who called his project "222" and delivered it in 222.66 seconds in front of 60,000 people on a London summer evening.