The Mind-Boggling Stats Behind Josh Kerr’s 3:42.66 Mile World Record

He called his shot—and did it!On Saturday, July 18, Josh Kerr of Great Britain ran 3:42.66 at the London Diamond League to break Hicham El Guerrouj’s 27-year-old world record in the mile.Kerr, 28, took nearly half a second off El Guerrouj’s record of 3:43.13 from 1999, which was one of the longest-standing world records in track.Kerr announced the record attempt in March, and he was unabashedly confident in his chances. For months, he posted frequent updates on his YouTube channel and social media, including an impressive 1200-meter time trial of 2:42.46.During the race, Kerr ran in a custom pair of spikes and a speedsuit made by his sponsor, Brooks. He’s a member of the Brooks Beasts track club and trains under coach Danny Mackey.Here are the amazing stats from Josh Kerr’s historic run in London.3:42.66: His official time0.47 seconds: How much he lowered the previous world record of 3:43.1355.34 seconds: His average pace per 400 meters2.68 seconds: How much he improved his previous personal best of 3:45.34112 days: Time between Kerr announcing the attempt on March 28 and breaking the record16.17 mph: His average speed55.30: His 400-meter split1:51.10: His 800-meter split2:46.50: His 1200-meter split3:27.70: His 1500-meter split, the fastest time in the world this year21 months old: Kerr’s age when El Guerrouj set the previous record in 199910: Number of times a British runner has broken the men’s mile record in the modern era (since 1913)Theo Kahler is the senior news editor at Runner’s World. He’s a former all-conference collegiate runner at Winthrop University, and he received his master’s degree in liberal arts studies from Wake Forest University, where he was a member of one of the top distance-running teams in the NCAA. Kahler has reported on the ground at major events such as the Paris Olympics, U.S. Olympic Trials, New York City Marathon, and Boston Marathon. He’s run 14:20 in the 5K, 1:05:37 in the half marathon, and finished 40th at the 2025 New York City Marathon. He enjoys spotting tracks from the sky on airplanes. (Look for colorful ovals around football fields.)