When Josh Kerr crossed the finish line at the Indoor Championships earlier this year, winning gold in the 3000m, he put two hands beneath his head and made the “night night” gesture. The celebration was box-office and made headlines almost immediately. It was also classic Kerr, a man who is unafraid to put his personality and rivalries out there when he takes to the track.
“When you’re in this era of really good professional middle distance running, you want to be the guy, you want to be remembered as the best,” says Kerr. Pulling out the “night night” celebration was to show how far he’d come – after finishing second in the Olympics and then picking up an injury at last year’s World Championships – and as a rebuttal to Cole Hocker, who finished second and had used the same celebration a month earlier. “That’s not how I’m going to be remembered, it’s not how I’m going to be treated in races.”
“Kerr is helping to bring new crowds to these races, drawn in by the drama and rivalries between the biggest names”
Edinburgh-born Kerr is part of a new generation of middle distance runners, jostling for competition at the top of the world rankings. Alongside Hocker and Jakob Ingebritsen, Kerr is helping to bring new crowds to these races, drawn in by the drama and rivalries between the biggest names. “We have to earn the audience, we have to earn the right to show off what we do and our hard work,” Kerr says. “At the end of the day, people want to watch good races.”
The Indoor Championships win was Kerr’s second in that competition, joining a medal list that includes a World Championship gold in 2023, and two Olympic medals (bronze in 2021, silver in 2024). His most recent victory was poignant, coming after Kerr picked up an injury while defending his World Championship title last year. “When you win a lot, you take it for granted,” he says. Having to recover from injury gave Kerr time to reflect, and to refine his approach to racing. “I still believe that I’m the best in the world, but I have to go out there and prove it.” That’s why he’s decided to take on a new challenge, one that might end up being the biggest moment of his running career.
“Having to recover from injury gave Kerr time to reflect, and to refine his approach to racing”
Kerr has been public with his next target, telling the world that he plans to break the one mile world record. It’s ambitious – the current record has been held by Hicham El Guerrouj in 1999 – and it’s a move that could take Kerr’s profile, and the sport of middle distance running, to a new level. “To be remembered as the best middle distance runner in history, you have to get the world record,” he says. To make things more interesting, Kerr is hoping to break the record in London, continuing a British connection to the distance that goes all the way back to Roger Bannister, the first man to run a sub four minute mile in 1954. “I truly deeply believe that the mile is British,” says Kerr.
Rather than just running the race, Kerr has made the unusual step of publicly announcing his plans. If he breaks the record, he will go down as an all-time great, but he risks mockery if he falls short. “I think it’s important to respect the record,” he adds. “I think it’s the hardest world record in track right now for a reason. Unless you commit your season to it, you’re going to have a really hard time getting it.” There’s another potential benefit from speaking so openly about his ambition. “If I can have more eyeballs watching because I’ve come out and spoken about it, then we can really push this middle distance era on to be remembered as the best in history.”
Kerr’s world record attempt comes a day before the final of this year’s World Cup. As a proud Scot, albeit one based on the other side of the Atlantic, he’s set for a big summer of sport. “It’s been a hell of a journey,” says Kerr with a grin. “To see Scotland get back to the World Cup, to get back to where they should be, is a story of resilience. Of course we did it in the most dramatic way. I think Scottish sport in general is booming, and we’re great in big moments when the pressure is on. It’s fun to be a part of it and try and be part of the conversation of Scottish sport.”
“I think it’s important to respect the record. I think it’s the hardest world record in track right now for a reason”
— Josh Kerr
Although he’s excited for the tournament, Kerr is a realist about Scotland’s chances this summer. “We might not be the best team in the world, but we’re going to turn up and get the most out of ourselves,” he says. This is the Scottish way, the same reason that the country is thriving in sports from football and rugby to Kerr’s very own middle distance running. “You never see a Scotland team not give 100 per cent. It’s the passion, and I think that’s just the way we grew up doing things. It’s an honour to play, it’s an honour to go out there and compete and you’re not going to be taken the piss out of ever.”
As a Scottish world champion himself, does Kerr have any advice for the Scottish team? “Play with passion and trust yourselves,” he says. “If you go out there and play like you do every day, you’ll have the success you want.” Kerr smiles again: “It’s going to be fun.” For a moment it’s hard to tell if he’s talking about the World Cup, or his own career-defining summer.
