Josh Kerr is taking nothing for granted after capping off a stellar year with a huge cheque for winning the 1500m title at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.
The Scot, who set a new mile world record in July, held off Australian runner-up Cameron Myers on the home straight to cross the finish line in three minutes, 29.35 seconds and add to the world indoor 3000m and Commonwealth mile titles he claimed earlier this year.
Kerr, 28, was gracious in his assessment of rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s decision to sit out Sunday night’s showdown, after his Norwegian rival decided it was one race too many following his stellar comeback from an 11-month injury lay-off to win European then Ultimate 5000m titles in just under a month.
“I want to roll this into 2027 and 2028,” said Kerr, who pocketed 150,000 US Dollars – the equivalent of £110,885.
“These are the peak years that I spoke about with Brooks (Kerr’s sponsors) for the first time in 2018, and we’re really starting to get some momentum going, but I’m a human being and I understand the highs of the sport are often followed by a lot of really lows in the sport.
“I had that in 2025, I’m not taking it for granted, and we still want to go after that world record at 1500m.”
Kerr and Ingebrigtsen had not gone head-to-head across 1500m outdoors since September 2024.
Both were granted special exemptions to compete in Budapest, in the same stadium where the Scot pipped the Norwegian favourite to the world title in 2023.
Kerr’s primary focus this year was his attempt at becoming the fastest miler in history and his home Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and only added Budapest to his plans after determining he was fit enough to extend his season.
Ingebrigtsen, who underwent surgery in February for a long-standing Achilles issue, and had to pause training for months after a May setback, emphatically announced his return with his European triumph last month in Birmingham.
On Saturday, Ingebrigtsen announced he was going to miss the 1500m, deciding he did not want to push his luck too far.
“It’s a difficult one for me,” said Kerr. “He’s gone out and run a very impressive 5K, and then he’s taken advice from his team as to the longevity of his season, the longevity of his career. I think he is a good sport.”
Double European individual sprint champion Amy Hunt, who won an unprecedented four gold medals in Birmingham, finished fourth in the 200m final.
“I can’t quite believe it’s done,” said Hunt, asked how it felt to finally be at the end of a season during which, she suspected, “I’ve already done more races than the rest of the girls combined.
“I’m really, really proud of the strength I’ve shown to still be out here and being so consistently strong at the end of a very long season.
“My coach has given us eight weeks off. I’m not an early morning person and so I’m looking forward to not even setting an alarm, being on the beach, spending time with my family. I’m excited to just be a normal 24-year-old.”
