Scottish runner Josh Kerr achieved a remarkable feat on Saturday, shattering a 27-year-old men's mile record with a time of 3:42.66. The victory was followed by a personal celebration: his first beer in months.
Kerr, who had abstained from alcohol since his December wedding, opted for the beverage to "slow [himself] down a little bit" and allow himself to savor the moment. He described the beer as "necessary" to appreciate the achievement, noting that athletes often move through significant moments too quickly.
Despite celebrating, Kerr was back to training early the following morning, aiming for a new record in the 1500 meters. His wife, however, had requested he take at least 12 hours of rest before embarking on his next ambitious goal.
Kerr had publicly set his sights on becoming the seventh Briton to break the mile record the previous March. He accomplished this in front of a massive crowd of 60,000 people at London Stadium. He acknowledged the significant attention the attempt generated, stating that while it might have seemed ambitious to call the attempt so early, he was supported by a strong team that allowed him to remain consistent and put in the necessary work.
"If I am to leave my mark on this sport as a British legend, following in the footsteps of the legends behind me, I have to put in those performances," Kerr told BBC Sport. "Those performances take every single part of you, every single part of your team. The amount of work behind the scenes is incredible. Today it was a performance I was able to bring out — I just hoped it would be a little bit faster!"
Kerr's coach believes that both the 1500-meter record and an even faster mile time are achievable. However, a vacation to Hawaii was also suggested as a potential next step. Kerr has given his coaches the authority to mandate rest, and he intends to heed their advice.
Looking further ahead, Kerr expressed his desire to continue contributing to the sport and has set his sights on winning a major marathon after pursuing the 1500-meter record. He hopes his achievement will inspire future athletes, stating, "I hope the person who breaks my world record will have been sitting in that stadium on Saturday, inspired, excited and ready to chase me down. That is the legacy I want to leave on my sport."
