The 2024 Paris Olympics are now looking even more fruitful for middle-distance runner Josh Kerr, racing 13.1 miles Millrose Games Bath: The ultimate UK city for social running.
Kerr, 26, steamrolled to victory around the track in a time of 8:00.67, bettering the previous record of 8:03:40 set by Sir Mo Farah in Birmingham almost a decade ago in 2015. Having spent most of the race tucked beside Grant Fisher – the US-record holder in the outdoors 5000m and 10,000m – Scotsman Kerr then drilled down hard with around 300m to go, forcing Fisher to settle for second as he celebrated his win on the home straight. Kerr covered the first mile in 4:03.63 and the second in 3:57.04 – an enviable negative split.
On track for Olympic gold?
This two-mile meet at Millrose was Kerr’s first race of 2024 – and what a way to get back to work after a game-changing 2023.
In August last year, Kerr executed the race of his life to become 1500m World Champion in Budapest, Hungary, putting Norwegian rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen in silver position and giving him a bitter sense of déjà vu. (Ingebrigtsen also placed second to another Brit, Jake Wightman, in the 1500m final at the 2022 World Championships in Oregon, USA.) Now in a pivotal Olympic year, Kerr is no doubt powered up with confidence as he cements himself as a frontrunner for the podium in Paris.
And although the two-mile record of 7:54.10 – secured outdoors by Ingebrigtsen in June 2023 – still stands, Ingebrigtsen is no doubt nervous following Kerr’s recent indoor result, especially after losing to Kerr in their 1500m face-off in Budapest. The pair are set to dual again on the Olympic track in the French capital this summer – but who, if either of them, will sprint their way to the gold medal?
Only half the story
Despite all his success around that famous running oval, Kerr is not confined to the track and still keen to test his legs over much longer distances on the road. This point was very much proven in December 2023, when Kerr broke the tape at the San Diego Holiday Half Marathon – his second attempt at London Marathon receives 840,000 applications – in a head-turning time of 61:51. While there has been some dispute over the credibility of this event (which is downhill and held on an uncertified course), this performance is – for us and Kerr alike – an excellent indicator of his potential over the half marathon distance.
Speaking to Runner’s World shortly after his win in San Diego, Kerr said: ‘It's a totally different sport [the half marathon]. It's very difficult to move from the 1500m to 13.1 miles, but I enjoy the long stuff.'
Two-mile majesty from Muir
Also racing in Millrose Games on Sunday was Great Britain’s decorated Laura Muir. Like her fellow Scot, Kerr, Muir joined the field for the two-mile race and scooped first place as a result.
Clocking 9:04.84, Muir stormed to a new European two-mile record – both indoors and outdoors – and claimed the crown in Milrose after the initial winner, Ethiopia’s Medina Eisa, was disqualified for cutting across her lane too soon on the first lap. Muir already has a silver Olympic medal to her name thanks to her outstanding 1500m performance in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics – and she’ll almost certainly be seeking to go one better at the Paris Olympics this year.
