PRO NOTES: Josh Kerr and Brooks announce Project 222...
Josh Kerr (photo courtesy Brooks Running) of the Brooks Beasts and his Seattle based sponsor, Brooks Running, announced that he will take a shot at the nearly 27 year old world record in the mile, in what Brooks calls Project 222.
222 is the number of seconds it takes to break the current world record in the mile.
In a series of interviews with British media over the weekend, Kerr announced that he will shoot for Hicham El Guerrouj's world record of 3:43.13 set in Rome on July 7, 1999 at the Novuna London Athletics Meet on July 18th at London Stadium. The London meet is the eleventh stop of the season long Wanda Diamond League tour.
Kerr, who holds the British mile record with a time of 3:45.34 set in May 2024, currently sits sixth on the world all-time list. The longstanding world record of 3:43.13, held by Morocco’s Hicham El Guerrouj since July 7, 1999, is the mark the 28‑year‑old will aim to surpass as he lines up in the prestigious Emsley Carr Mile.
“Project 222 is about embracing pressure,” said Kerr. “Calling your shot, putting yourself out there when everyone is watching, and seeing what’s possible when belief, preparation, and the right support come together.”
Speaking about his ambitions, the double Olympic medallist said: “This record deserves to be done at home, this record needs to be brought home, and this is a British record. This is a British distance; it would be doing a disservice to the UK not to be doing it at home.”
He added, “I am really excited. There are no guarantees in this; it is a record that deserves a lot of respect. I believe I am respecting it by coming out and talking about it. I want to do it with the people I have behind me, I have an amazing team.”
“I have some big goals this summer – it’s no secret that I want to compete for Scotland in the mile at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow too – and this fits my schedule perfectly. It’s a Diamond League race so I know it’ll be a strong field, but I’m not concerned about who will or won’t be there. I can only control my own performance so I want to go out there and run fast. I want to make it memorable.”
In an interview with Matt Lawton of The Times of London, Kerr said that the meet organizers are giving him some leeway on who he'll have as pacemakers in the field.
Back in Seattle, Brooks will tailor a speed suit to Kerr's specifications, and build a World Athletics compliant spike, which he says will be a one-off.
"It won’t be great for anything else. It will be created for me to run four 55-second laps."
“We’ve been doing round after round of testing and there will be one more round before it’s completely right. It’s going to be a fully certified spike. But it will be specific to me, and specific to that speed and distance."
“This pursuit represents everything Brooks stands for — supporting bold ambition, building world-class performance gear, and showing up for athletes when the stakes are highest,” said Garrett Heath, Head of Sports Marketing at Brooks. “When an athlete like Josh dares to chase history and test the limits of what is possible, it inspires everyone pursuing excellence.”
Kerr and Brooks plan to be transparent about the process by posting updates on their social media channels.
WOODRUFF OPENS SEASON AT CLYDE HART CLASSIC...
Gearing up for an outdoor season that includes several Wanda Diamond League meets and the newly created World Ultimate Championships in Budapest, Washington alum Gianna Woodruff, who last year made the finals at the world championships in the 400 hurdles, opened up her campaign at the Clyde Hart Classic in Waco, Texas hosted by Baylor University.
On Friday (3/27), Woodruff dropped down in distance and ran a wind aided (+2.3) 24.30 to finish sixth in her heat.
The next day, she did a little over distance work, and finished fourth overall in the 800 meters, running a personal best 2:06.72 in a heat that included long time training partner Dalilah Muhammad, who finished second in a personal best of 2:04.51. Makenna Herbst of the University of Arkansas, where both Muhammad and Woodruff train, took the win in 2:04.22.
NOTE: The Wanda Diamond League, British Athletics, Brooks Running, and the sports information office of Baylor University contributed to this report.
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