Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
British runner Josh Kerr set a new men’s mile world record at the London Stadium on July 18, finishing in 3:42.66. This broke the long-standing record of 3:43.13 set by Hicham El Guerrouj in Rome in 1999 by 0.47 seconds, ending a 27-year reign. The event was part of a project Kerr called ‘Project 222,’ and he thanked his support network after the performance.
Analysis of split times shows Kerr ran the first half in approximately 1:51.72 and the second in 1:50.94, indicating a faster pace in the latter half. By contrast, El Guerrouj’s halves were 1:51.58 and 1:51.55. Kerr widened his lead over the field in the final 440 yards, ultimately finishing 2.71 seconds ahead of the nearest competitor.
Race data revealed that six of the ten runners covered exactly the mile distance, with four running up to 3.8 meters more. Kerr’s achievement marks the first time a male athlete has finished a mile faster than Roger Bannister’s 3:43 split for the 1,500-meter segment during Bannister’s historic first sub-four-minute mile in 1954.