Josh Kerr is attempting to break the 27-year-old mile world record held by Hicham El Gerrouj at the Wanda Diamond League in London on Saturday. The former 1500m world champion and double Olympic medallist has set his sights on the mark of 3:43.13, set by the Moroccan in Rome in 1999, aiming to complete Project 222 — the number of seconds required to beat the record.
Meticulous preparation for the record attempt
Kerr has been meticulous in his preparation, taking ice baths lasting exactly 3 minutes 42 seconds and using an altitude room in his Albuquerque home. He also flew out his parents for the final stretch before the race. Despite some team members initially opposing the announcement of the world record attempt in March, Kerr was determined to involve as many people as possible in his journey.
“For me, this wasn’t an idea to hopefully save athletics but it is definitely a situation where ‘why not?’ Why not go after something like this in front of as many people as possible?” Kerr said. “I’ve been told (I didn’t need to put myself out there) a lot. Mostly from my team. But we are here now and we’ve had a very smooth camp. I’m glad I did it now. I like goals that are lofty and I think this sport needs moments.”
Confidence and competition
Kerr’s preparation has gone as well as he could have hoped, having not missed a single day of training since he was crowned world indoor champion over 3000m in March. This consistency gives him confidence heading into the race, which is against the clock as much as his opponents. American Yared Nuguse, the fourth fastest man in history over the mile, is also in the field, and Kerr believes he is not the only person capable of beating El Gerrouj’s record at the Olympic Stadium.
“I’m not a bettor myself but it’s in my favour,” Kerr added. “My body is capable of the mark so my job is to have my mind be available to let my body do the job.”
No fear of failure
Should Kerr fall short in a bid that has been his singular focus this season, or even see someone else beat him to the record, he will have no regrets. “There’s different breeds of people. As an athlete, I’m not scared of failing. It’s not something that I was born with. I’m on the attack at all times, and I’m bold with what I talk about,” he said. “But when the figures and the stats behind me are backing up my claims, I don’t see why I can’t go out there and do what my job is. And I think it’s important to tell people what your goals are.”
Kerr added: “I’m trying to do something that no one’s ever done. There’s definitely a risk of failure, but it’s not something that’s on my mind particularly often. I’m going out there, I’ve had the best camp I’ve ever had in my life, I’ve been able to live a life that I’ve always wanted to live over the last six months in pursuit of this. It’s been focused. It’s been surrounded by amazing people, and I’ve already won that fight.”
