Josh Kerr of the Brooks Beasts sets two-mile world best at Millrose Games...
NEW YORK--When we last met up with Josh Kerr (photo courtesy Brooks Running) of the Seattle based Brooks Beasts, we saw him run one of his first workouts of the 2024 season last fall at the Lower Woodland Park cinder track near Green Lake, and did an informal photo shoot with him and the rest of the team.
On the white board that he held for that photo session (Paul Merca photo), he wrote: "I want to dominate."
In his 2024 season debut at the 116th Millrose Games at the Nike Track & Field Center at The Armory, Kerr, the reigning world champion in the 1500 meters in Budapest, put down a performance that put the rest of the world on notice that dominate is what he intends to do this season.
After the two pace setters stepped off the track, Kerr tucked behind Michigan native Grant Fisher for the last 3/4s of a mile after they went through the mile in 4:03.63, before moving with 300 meters to go to win the men's two mile in a world record 8:00.67.
In the process, Kerr obliterated the previous world best (World Athletics does not recognize the two mile as a world record event, thus its status as a world best) of 8:03.40 set by fellow Briton Mo Farah from 2015.
In post race quotes, Kerr told the media afterwards, “It’s so much harder than (the) 1500m, just because it hurts from so early on.”
Shortly before the finish, he slowed to acknowledge the crowd at the Armory with a salute, including fans sitting in the Brooks "Kerr's Corner" section.
“With 100m to go, I knew I had it,” Kerr said, “so I just wanted to have fun with it. I don’t need to break everything by a lot; I just wanted to break it.”
For his efforts, Fisher in second place in 8:03.62 set a new American record, beating Galen Rupp's mark of 8:07.41 from 2014, and clocked the third best time in history.
Washington alum Kieran Lumb finished sixth in a personal best 8:14.52.
Courtesy of NBC Sports, here's the race:
In other action involving Washington athletes, fellow Husky alum Sam Ellis finished sixth in the men's 800, running an absolute personal best 1:47.44, as Bryce Hoppel won in 1:45.54.
In the final race of the day, Seattle resident Sam Prakel finished 11th in the Wanamaker Mile, running 3:55.09, as Yared Nuguse won in 3:47.83.
In addition to Kerr's world best in the two mile, Devynne Charlton of the Bahamas set an unlooked for world record in the women's 60 hurdles, running 7.67 to break the previous world record of 7.68 set by Susanna Kallur of Sweden in 2008.
BEASTS COMPETE IN ALBUQUERQUE AT DON KIRBY ELITE...
In Albuquerque, New Mexico where the rest of the Brooks Beasts are based for their altitude training stint, Allie Buchalski and Washington alum Kayley DeLay went 1-2 in the women's mile at the Don Kirby Elite meet at the Albuquerque Convention Center Saturday.
Buchalski ran 4:40.39 for the win, while DeLay took second in 4:44.70.
Brannon Kidder, who was part of the group of 14 men who broke four minutes in the mile at the UW Invitational/Mile City event at Dempsey Indoor two weeks ago, won the men's 800 in 1:47.09, while Henry Wynne was second in 1:49.03.
On Friday night, Brandon Miller and Isaiah Harris went 1-2 in the 600, with Miller running 1:14.03, and Harris 1:15.42. World championships 800m finalist Nia Akins won the women's 600 in 1:24.32.
The Beasts are preparing for next weekend's USA Indoor Championships back at the Albuquerque Convention Center.
NOTE: The media relations office of Brooks Running contributed to this report.
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