Josh Kerr isn’t done chasing history.
Just 11 days after brilliantly breaking Hicham El Guerrouj’s world mile record, which had stood for 27 years, he was back on the track to start his Commonwealth Games campaign at Scotstoun.
The mile has returned to the athletics programme here for the first time in six decades, 72 years after both Roger Bannister and John Landy dipped below four minutes at the old Empire Games in a race dubbed the “Miracle Mile”.
By contrast, all 13 qualifiers for Saturday’s final have broken that fabled barrier. Kerr came through the slower of the two heats with ease, but Australia’s Cameron Myers underlined why he’s viewed as the sport’s next big thing, his time just a little over a second slower than Kerr’s new 3:42.66 world best.
“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 on Saturday night 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.
“I’m just trying to battle against them and rely on what I’m most proud of, which is my racing tactics. It’s a little different, but not too different.
“That’s the thing with championships – you’ve got to show up.”
Kerr will be joined in the final by Scottish team-mate and former 1500m world champion Jake Wightman, but Australia’s Ollie Hoare, who won gold in the 1500m four years ago, fell and did not progress.
Kerr spends most of his year living 6,000 feet above sea level in New Mexico, even installing an altitude chamber inside his bedroom in Albuquerque.
Since his record-breaking run in London, he’s been back home in Scotland, admitting it’s taken time to get over the high of that moment as he attempts to refocus on this medal bid.
“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.”
Scotstoun has been given a serious makeover for the Commonwealth Games but still feels an intimate setting for a major championship, as trains trundle behind the back straight and give a cheery toot of support.
You’ll be hard pushed to find a nicer guy in athletics than Wightman, who seems quite happy to let Kerr have the spotlight in front of the home crowd.
However, he saw at close quarters that Myers, just 20, boasts that innate Australian ability to find another level when everyone is against you, his fearlessness marking his rapid rise.
“If anyone’s watched the season, they’ll know all about Cam,” said Wightman. “He beat me two years ago in Australia and I thought, ‘He’s going to be good.’ He just kept getting better every year.
“When Cam started pushing the pace, I thought we could either go with it or let it drag us away from the field. I felt like it was enough of a sharpener ahead of Saturday, but not so much that I overexerted myself. We’ve got two days to recover, which is perfect.
“I’m probably biased, but if you look at it on paper, it’s going to be the race of the Games. That’s great for the spectators, although it’s pretty annoying if you’re in it because it’s as hard as it’s ever been. But that’s what you want – you want to beat the best, and nobody is missing from this field. Every athlete who could be here is here.”
Thanks to National Lottery players, more than £33m is raised every week for good causes. It’s because of you that sport, arts, heritage and community projects, as well as our athletes competing at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, are supported across the UK.
Sportsbeat
