World 1500m champion Josh Kerr lived up to the hype as ran a brilliant new world best over two miles at the Millrose Games in New York on Sunday (11).
Kerr had targeted the nine year old record of 8:03.40, held by fellow Brit Mo Farah, and he executed brilliantly, slashing nearly three seconds off it to win in 8:00.67.
Although behind schedule at the halfway point, Kerr and Grant Fisher, the USA record-holder at 5000m and 10,000m, cranked up the pace in the second half.
Kerr fed off long-time leader Fisher’s endurance and utilised his change of pace 300 metres to go, dramatically opening a ten metre lead into the last lap. Kerr fisted the air in the closing straight with the record well within grasp, setting down a marker of intent in Olympic year. Fisher was second in 8:03.62.
"I'm not all talk."
Afterwards, a thrilled Kerr said: “It was so hard. Grant was always going to be so much stronger than I am, and I was hopefully going to have more legs in the last 600. I was really hurting from eight laps today, I decided I wanted to go early, but I just couldn’t.
“Running two four minute miles back to back is much harder than people think. I’m so glad that I was able to come away with not only the win but also the world record.
“I had to roll with the punches at the start of my career, I was good but not world class, then world class but not world champion, and now I’m world champion and having fun with it.
“I want to prove that I’m not all talk, hopefully it’s been exciting for you guys the last couple of months. but it’s been more nerve racking for me, because calling your shot that far out is a little more difficult than I thought it would be. But I wanted to create hype for the race and get a really good field in there, so we could go after something fast.”
Muir in form with fastest ever two miles by a European
The women’s two miles was another thriller, featuring another British athlete, Olympic 1500m silver medallist Laura Muir.
The seasoned Scot, twice European gold medallist over 1500m, USA 3000m record-holder Alicia Monson, and Ethiopian world U20 5000m gold and silver medallists Medina Eisa and Melknat Wudu formed the lead bunch.
As the last lap started, Monson was the first to crack and it was left to Muir and the Ethiopians.
Muir and Eisa both found an extra gear to drop Wudu but Eisa just had the edge winning by 0.45 in 9:04:39. However, after the race, the initial Ethiopian winner was disqualified for cutting lanes from the second group on the first lap too early.
Muir was duly promoted to the victor in 9:04.84, the second fastest time indoors in history and the fastest time ever recorded either indoors or outdoors by a European.
World champion in winning form
World high jump champion indoors and outdoors Yaroslava Mahuchikh was making her Millrose Games fresh off a recent world lead of 2.04m in Cottbus.
Three attempts to clear 2.00m and that may have jaded her efforts at 2.05m. Three failures meant she had to settle for the victory alone ahead of former world indoor champion Vashti Cunningham (USA) whose best effort was 1.97m.
Improving British athlete George Mills gave another good account of himself on the international circuit, placing third in the Men’s Wanamaker Mile in 3:48.93, just behind winner world finalist and defending champion Yared Nuguse (3:47.83) and world road running one mile gold medallist Hobbs Kessler (3:48.66).
He may have ran an even faster time, where he not clipped by Kessler on the last lap but Mills' time could still be ratified as a European record. Kerr has run 3:48.87 indoors but that time was not ratified.
Ireland’s European bronze medallist Mark English came from the back of the pack on the last lap to place third in the men’s 800m in 1:46.61.
Chris Broadbent for European Athletics