Josh Kerr has issued an open challenge to his rivals: copy every aspect of his training if they believe they can beat him, declaring he has “absolutely no secrets.” The 2023 world champion was named to Team Scotland’s athletics squad for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he aims to settle unfinished business after finishing last in the 1500m final at Birmingham 2022, while teammate Jake Wightman claimed bronze.
Mile World Record Attempt Precedes Commonwealth Glory
Kerr’s quest for Commonwealth gold will be in the mile, the same distance he intends to break the world record in at the London Diamond League on 18 July. He is documenting his journey in meticulous detail on his YouTube channel, unafraid to reveal his methods. “At its heart, I'm documenting it for myself because this is a really tough journey and there's not a better way to document it and be able to look back with future kids or family members in 10 years’ time and say that's what that was like,” the two-time Olympic medallist explained.
“The other thing is I've worked hard to do everything right and if you want to do what I do, feel free. If you want to come and beat me and do it the way that I do it and work harder, I'm fully okay with that. I think the hard work and the determination and the little things that you do day in day out defines your performance and I have absolutely no secrets with that.”
Overcoming Injury and Indoor Success
Kerr finished at the back of the pack at the 2025 World Championships, but this time it was different from the 2022 Commonwealth Games as he sustained a calf injury during the final in Tokyo and valiantly completed the race. He returned to top form at the World Indoor Championships in Torún earlier in 2026, claiming his second 3000m title. Just over a week later, he announced Project 222 – an attempt to break Hicham El Guerrouj’s mile record of 3:43.13 set in 1999, aiming to run a mile in 222 seconds (three minutes and 42 seconds).
The Edinburgh native revealed he is exactly on track for his shot at glory at the London Stadium. “Everything's going extremely smoothly. When you call your shot this far in advance, obviously there's a lot of things that can happen, and we're still three weeks or so out from it, but I couldn't ask to be in a better spot for it,” he said. “There's a difference between having the fitness to go for it and dealing with the variables that come your way, and I believe I'm in the fitness for it, so it's definitely on. I just need to handle the variables and with a little bit of luck on my side, I'm sure I'll be in a really good spot.”
Homecoming at Scotstoun Stadium
After the world record attempt, Kerr will aim to add Commonwealth silverware to his collection as he returns to Scotstoun Stadium, the scene of his younger days in athletics. Far from feeling the pressure of performing for a home crowd, the 28-year-old, who is based in the US, is relishing the return to Glasgow, having won indoor world gold in the city in 2024. “I don't feel the pressure of needing to perform in front of that crowd because I know that I have it in me and I've done it before, so it's just following that script as much as I can,” he said. “And as always, just going out there and giving everything I've got and normally that comes out with a result that I'm proud of.”
