'I'm Not Afraid to Fail' – Josh Kerr Makes Bold Move to Chase Historic Mile World Record

Former world 1500m champion Josh Kerr has opened up about his decision to attack the mile world record of 3:43.13 that was set by Hicham El Guerrouj at the 1999 Golden Gala in Rome, Italy.

Josh Kerr will line up for the 3000m at the Diamond League Meeting in London on July 18, eyeing the legendary world record, and he is boldly speaking about it.

The world indoor champion revealed that he is ready for the challenge, noting that he has received massive backing and is not afraid of what is to come.

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Speaking in an interview with Citius Mag, Josh Kerr revealed that he feels fully prepared to challenge the mile world record, explaining that the right structures and support systems are now in place to give him the best possible chance.

The Briton star noted that he has previously reached a level of fitness capable of threatening the mark and believes the timing is right to make a serious attempt.

Josh Kerr emphasised the significance of the milestone, describing it as one of the most prestigious and historic achievements in track and field, and stressed that such an attempt deserves to be approached with intention and transparency rather than quietly pursued.

Kerr added that his season is being carefully planned around this objective, making it a central focus of his competitive year.

He also made it clear that he is open about his ambitions and unafraid of falling short, pointing out that he has a strong team supporting him throughout the process. He highlighted that the ultimate aim is to reach a specific performance benchmark aligned with his broader project, which he believes could translate into a record-breaking time in the mile.

“Because I'm ready. We now have the systems in place. I believe I've been in shape to run this world record a couple of times. Because this is one of the most important track world records, I think, as you know, and the oldest track world record. And so, to give it the respect it deserves, I think you need to come out and talk about it. This is not a record that should be stolen in the night,” he added.

“This is a record that should be known to revolve your season around, and I'm not going to be shy in telling people my goals. I'm not afraid to fail. And I have incredible people backing me up on this and helping me throughout the project to the 222 project 222 seconds, which ends up in a 342 mile, so that's the big goal.”

Josh Kerr further explained that selecting a fixed date and venue was a key part of the preparation process. He noted that the decision was influenced by the desire to compete in a top-tier setting on the Diamond League circuit, while also benefiting from the familiarity and support of a home crowd.

He added that the build-up to the attempt has involved extensive planning and effort, describing it as a major undertaking that has required significant commitment behind the scenes to ensure everything is in place for the challenge.

“We'll be doing this at the London Diamond League on July 18. We needed to have a date. We needed to have it in the biggest and best stadium in the diamond league circuit, and it needed to be at home. So, yeah, all of those factors brought together. Yeah, it's been a big project so far, and a lot of work has gone into it,” he added.