World champion Josh Kerr has issued a bold challenge to his rivals, daring them to replicate every aspect of his training if they believe they can defeat him. The 28-year-old Scottish middle-distance runner, who was named in Team Scotland's athletics squad for the 2026 Commonwealth Games, insists he has "absolutely no secrets" as he targets both a world record and a home Games triumph.
Unfinished business at the Commonwealth Games
Kerr has unfinished business with the Commonwealth Games after finishing last in the 1500m final at Birmingham 2022, while teammate Jake Wightman took bronze. His hopes for glory at Glasgow 2026 will be in the mile, the same distance he plans to attack the world record at the London Diamond League on 18 July.
The two-time Olympic medallist is documenting his journey in minute detail on his YouTube channel and has no fear of giving away his secrets. "At its heart, I'm documenting it for myself because this is a really tough journey and there's not a better way to document it and be able to look back with future kids or family members in 10 years' time and say that's what that was like," Kerr said.
Open book approach to training
"The other thing is I've worked hard to do everything right and if you want to do what I do, feel free. If you want to come and beat me and do it the way that I do it and work harder, I'm fully okay with that. I think the hard work and the determination and the little things that you do day in day out that defines your performance and I have absolutely no secrets with that," he added.
Kerr finished at the back of the pack at the 2025 World Championships, but this time it was different from the 2022 Commonwealth Games, as he sustained a calf injury during the final in Tokyo and valiantly finished the race. He returned to top form at the World Indoor Championships in Torún earlier this year, claiming his second 3000m title.
Project 222: World record attempt
Just over a week later, he announced Project 222, his attempt to break Hicham El Guerrouj's mile record of 3:43.13 set in 1999, as Kerr aims to run a mile in 222 seconds — or three minutes and 42 seconds. The Edinburgh native has revealed he is exactly on track for his shot at glory at the London Stadium.
"Everything's going extremely smoothly. When you call your shot this far in advance, obviously there's a lot of things that can happen, and we're still three weeks or so out from it, but I couldn't ask to be in a better spot for it," Kerr said. "There's a difference between having the fitness to go for it and dealing with the variables that come your way, and I believe I'm in the fitness for it, so it's definitely on. I just need to handle the variables and with a little bit of luck on my side, I'm sure I'll be in a really good spot."
Homecoming at Scotstoun Stadium
After the world record attempt, Kerr will aim to add Commonwealth silverware to his collection as he returns to Scotstoun Stadium, the scene of his younger days in athletics. Far from feeling the pressure of performing for a home crowd, Kerr, who is based in the US, is relishing the return to Glasgow, having won indoor world gold in the city in 2024.
"I don't feel the pressure of needing to perform in front of that crowd because I know that I have it in me and I've done it before, so it's just following that script as much as I can," he said. "And as always, just going out there and giving everything I've got and normally that comes out with a result that I'm proud of."
