Josh Kerr is back where it all began – ready for another slice of history. Just 11 days after smashing a 27-year-old world mile record, the Scot launched his Commonwealth Games campaign at Scotstown.
The mile returns to the Commonwealth programme for the first time in 60 years, 72 years after Roger Bannister and John Landy produced the famous 'Miracle Mile' at the Empire Games. Every one of Saturday's 13 finalists has broken the once-unthinkable four-minute barrier.
Kerr eased through the slower of the two heats, but Australia's Cameron Myers underlined why he is viewed as the sport's next superstar by clocking 3:43.85 – just over a second outside Kerr's new world record of 3:42.66.
It's going to be a war
"It's going to be a war out there," said Kerr. "This is home ground. This is our track, where we grew up racing and where we learned the sport. It's our crowd as well. The rest of those guys want to take what's ours, and they're going to have to come with something special because they're not going to get it easy."
"My mindset hasn't really changed throughout my career, but it is different going from racing the clock to racing these guys because they're some of the best milers in the world."
Scotstoun has had a Games makeover but still feels wonderfully intimate, with trains rumbling behind the back straight and drivers giving competitors an approving toot.
Home advantage
Kerr is the undisputed star attraction and will be joined in Saturday's showpiece final by fellow Scot and former 1500m world champion Jake Wightman. Since his record-breaking run in London, Kerr has been back in Scotland, admitting it has taken time to come down from the high of that moment as he switches his focus to Commonwealth gold before next month's European Championships in Birmingham.
The Scot spends most of the year living 6,000 feet above sea level in New Mexico, even installing an altitude chamber in his bedroom in Albuquerque, but has relished returning to a track where his athletics journey began.
Emotional comedown
"The emotional comedown from London has been a lot," he admitted. "I brought a world record from another era into the modern day, and maybe that makes it something people can relate to a bit more. It took a huge amount of work to get there, but I'm glad I was able to lead that charge."
"To be the world record holder and to be rubbing shoulders with those guys from history, to be in the same conversation, is special. Hopefully I can bring a bit more energy back to the mile in the UK."
"I've kept my phone off and spent time with my family, taking it day by day. I spent time doing the sort of things I did growing up. I showed my wife some of the places where I used to train and went out running with her. It was about resetting."
"I know how proud the younger version of myself would have been – the kid training here 15 years ago. I've got to show up for him."
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