Josh Kerr of Brooks Beasts takes Commonwealth Games mile crown in front of Scottish fans...
GLASGOW, Scotland--After taking down the world record two weeks ago in London, the question was whether or not Josh Kerr (photo courtesy Glasgow 2026), who runs for the Seattle based Brooks Beasts, would be vulnerable to a mental let down after taking down Hicham El Guerrouj's world record of 3:43.13 with his 3:42.66 run at the Diamond League meet.
In the finals of the men's mile at the Commonwealth Games at Scotstoun Stadium Saturday night, there were very little expectations of Kerr coming close in a championship race, especially without pacers and pacing light technology.
As expected, the pace went out modestly, with the first quarter at around 60 seconds, with Botswana's Tshepiso Masalela running up front with Kerr towards the back third of the field.
The second 440 was slower, and as the field finished the second lap, former Husky Sam Tanner moved to the front, going through the half mile in about 2:03. Meanwhile, Kerr was being jostled while trying to get room to run.
The race began to get interesting over the next quarter mile, as former world champion and Tokyo Olympic 1500m silver medalist Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya used his veteran savvy to position himself at the front entering the bell with a 57 second third quarter.
Over the next 200, Kerr and fellow Scot and former world champion Jake Wightman stormed to the front, with the Scottish crowd anticipating a possible 1-2 finish.
On the final 200, Kerr accelerated sharply and finished with a final 209 meters in 26.5, urging the crowd on over the last 20 meters to take the win in 3:54.12 and add the Commonwealth Games victory to his 2026 goals.
Australia's Cam Myers was second in 3:55.26, while Cheruiyot was third in 3:55.41.
Wightman faded to sixth in 3:56.36, while former Husky Tanner was ninth in 3:56.63.
In the mixed zone, Kerr told reporters, “I’m in the best shape of my life and to do that in front of a home crowd is a very special moment.”
"I spent ten years trying to learn how to race, and once you get it, you get it."
When asked what his next steps are for the rest of the campaign, he said that will reset and evaluate his plans for the rest of the season.
Courtesy of CBC Sports, here is the race (may be geoblocked or taken down):
In what was a very tactical women's mile, former Washington State standout Rosemary Longisa of Kenya finished ninth in the event, running 4:42.75.
Australia's Abbey Caldwell led a sweep of the podium, running 4:39.31 for the win, with Oregon alum Jessica Hull second in 4:39.86 and Claudia Hollingsworth third in 4:40.20.
Washington alum Kieran Lumb of Canada finished eighth in the men's 5000, running 13:26.18, as Matthew Kipsang of Kenya won in 13:23.61.
The Washington alum has run over the last two world championships and the Olympics over the 1500, so running the 5000 was a new experience after being away from racing that distance at that level.
“It was cool. It was a learning experience for me. I think earlier on in my career I did a couple of these championship 5Ks on the international stage, but it's probably been four or five years so it's interesting,” Lumb said.
WASHINGTON FROSH OWEN POWELL TUNES UP FOR WORLD U20s...
In Oordegem, Belgium Saturday, Washington freshman Owen Powell, who will run the 3000 meters at the World Athletics Under 20 Championships in Eugene next week, tuned up for the world juniors by finishing eleventh in his heat of the 1500 meters at the IFAM Outdoor Meeting, a World Athletics Bronze Level meet.
Powell, running in the second of five heats, crossed the line in a season best time of 3:39.91.
In the top section of the men's 1500, Washington alum Sam Ellis finished 13th in 3:37.95, as Villanova standout Marco Langon took the overall win in 3:34.01.
Washington's Thomas Diamond was third in heat 4 of the 1500, running 3:42.15.
In the second of five heats in the women's 1500, Portland alum Laura Pellicoro of the Brooks Beasts took the win in a personal best 4:04.55, just ahead of Washington's Julia David-Smith, who ran a personal best 4:07.78.
Sam Whitmarsh of the Brooks Beasts finished third in the second of five heats of the men's 800, running a season best 1:46.17.
Washington alum Julius Diehr was 17th in his section of the men's 5000, running 13:43.31.
Parker Stokes of the Brooks Beasts was listed as not finishing the top section of the men's 3000 steeplechase.
NOTE: The Commonwealth Games, World Athletics, and the IFAM Outdoor Meeting contributed to this report.
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