The Emsley Carr Mile will return to the London Diamond League for the third time in the last decade.
Josh Kerr will be one of the main headliners of the Emsley Carr Mile, which is being held in the London Diamond League (July 18) for the first time in two years.
The 28-year-old holds the British mile record at 3:45.34, putting him sixth on the world all-time list, and also holds the national indoor record (3:48.87).
Last weekend, Kerr claimed his second world indoor 3,000m title with a dramatic victory over Cole Hocker in Toruń, Poland.
After gradually advancing through the race, Kerr timed his race perfectly on the final lap and clocked 7:35.56, with Hocker second in 7:35.70.
Kerr celebrated his victory by replicating Hocker’s “night out” celebration at last month’s Millrose Games, where the American bested the Brit over two miles in New York City.
It will be intriguing to see what other athletes compete in the London Diamond League’s Emsley Carr Mile as the prestigious race makes just its third appearance at the Olympic Stadium in the last decade.
The last time he was a hero in Stratford, Australian Olli Hoare triumphed in 3:49.03 in the metric mile. Although five Britons have won the Emsley Carr Mile in the last nine years, none of them have done so at the Olympic Stadium.
“The Emsley Carr Mile has an incredible history and to have the opportunity to compete in that event in London is special,” said Kerr, who plans to do some warm-up races in the US as part of his preparation.
“I have big goals this summer; it’s no secret that I also want to compete for Scotland in the mile at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, and this fits perfectly with my schedule. It’s a Diamond League race, so I know it will be a strong field, but I’m not worried about who will or won’t be there. I can only control my own performance, so I want to go out and run fast. I want it to be memorable.”
The Emsley Carr Mile was opened in 1953 by Sir William Carr in memory of his father, Sir Emsley Carr, former editor of the News of the World.
The fastest recorded time for the Emsley Carr Mile – and the fastest mile ever recorded on British soil – is 3:45.96 by Moroccan Hicham El Guerrouj at Crystal Palace in 2000. Last year’s winner was Henry McLuckie, who ran 3:53.99 at the University of Stirling.
