The 2026 Diamond League has already seen history made in middle-distance running thanks to Cooper Lutkenhaus. It’s not, however, ready for what Josh Kerr is about to do, with the 28-year-old going all out in his pursuit of a world record time. After all, his goal is to become the next Roger Bannister, and to do that, the Olympic silver medalist is willing to forgo even a national title.

The 28-year-old has reportedly not registered for the upcoming British National Championships that will take place on June 20 and 21. British Athletics’ official website confirmed the official entry list for the event. According to the downloadable version, Kerr has been invited to three races, including the 800m, 1500m, and 5000m.

However, as of mid-June 2026, the Brooks athlete has yet to accept the invite. He isn’t the only one, as only half the invited list for the 800 and 1500m have accepted, while that tally drops down to less than half for the 5000m (27 out of 66).

Even then, Kerr’s potential no-show isn’t all that shocking given that he prefers major championships. That’s something Kerr has admitted in the past, even doing so recently in an interview with Citius Magazine.

“I’m a major championship guy,” Kerr told Citius Mag. “I love the World Championships and the Olympic Games. Everyone does, but I just don’t put as much weight on the regular season as some others might.”

More importantly, it shows just how seriously the 28-year-old is taking his world record attempt. After all, breaking Hicham El Guerrouj’s time will be no mean feat. Roger Bannister became the first person to ever break 4 minutes in the mile when he did it in 1954. John Landy joined him a month later, bettering Bannister’s 3:59.4 with 3:58.0.

It took 44 years before El Guerrouj managed to bring that record down by 15 seconds, when he clocked 3:43.13 in 1999. In the interim, many tried, but it took 21 years to cut it down by another ten seconds, with John Walker finally doing it in 1975. However, in the 27 years since El Guerrouj set the record, only 12 runners have managed to crack into the top twenty.

Out of those 12, only five have come within two seconds of the world record. Josh Kerr (3:45.34 in 2024) is one of those, but the closest has been Jakob Ingebrigtsen (3:43.73). It marks a remarkable time for distance running, and it’s why Kerr is giving El Guerrouj’s record the respect it deserves. It’s why he collaborated with Brooks Running to set up what they’ve termed as Project 222.

“This is one of the most important track world records and the oldest [outdoor track-specific record],” Kerr revealed. “To give it the respect it deserves, you need to come out and say it. This is not a record that should be stolen in the night. It should have a full season built around it. I’m not going to be shy about my goals.

“I’m not afraid to fail, and I have incredible people backing me. Project 222 seconds, which works out to a 3:42 mile. We’ll be going after it at the London Diamond League on July 18th. We needed a date. We needed the biggest and best venue in the Diamond League circuit, and it needed to be at home.”

Yet for Kerr, the record itself is only part of the story. Just as important is where it happens, and for the Scottish star, there was never really any doubt about the stage he wanted.

Josh Kerr opens up on why he wants to break the record in London

If he does break it, Josh Kerr will become the first athlete from Great Britain to hold the record in over 56 years. The last person to do so was Steve Cram. That was in 1985 when he broke the current World Athletics president and fellow Brit Sebastian Coe’s time of 3:47.33 with 3:46.32. His record stood for eight years before Noureddine Morceli shattered it by two seconds.

What makes it even more interesting is that Kerr will be the first man in 94 years to do it in London. The last time the record for the outdoor mile was broken/set in the UK capital was when Derek Ibbotson did it. He became only the third British athlete to break sub-4 in the mile at the time and beat Landy’s time with 3:57.2.

A remarkable effort at the time and it’s why Kerr wants to make sure he brings it back home. That’s likely why his entire focus is on the London Diamond League on July 18, 2026. However, the 28-year-old admitted that there was some debate about the ‘where’ before he quashed it all for London.

“There was some debate about where we should attempt this record,” Kerr wrote in the Telegraph. “It was like, “Maybe Monaco? Or California?” No. Being in the UK, in the same stadium that hosted the 2012 Olympics, in front of a huge young crowd, is incredibly important. The blood that runs through my veins is British; the blood that runs through the mile record is British too.”

If he does break the record, it’ll be some feat. More importantly, it’ll mark his first race in the discipline in two years after injury hit him hard. However, Kerr is now fully fit and hoping to scale a mountain that his idol, Sir Roger Bannister, once did.

“Sir Roger scaled a mountain that no one had ever climbed,” he added. “It’s awesome that we can still watch and hear him. I hope to have similar for myself in many years’ time. The required average of 55.5sec per lap for four laps is definitely within my capabilities. 

“That’s 222 seconds. This is Project 222. Sir Roger called his, “The moment of a lifetime”. I want the same. I’m bringing the mile home.”

By skipping a chance at another national title, Kerr has made it clear that every decision this season is being filtered through one goal: bringing the mile world record back to Britain. Whether Project 222 ends in history or heartbreak, the Olympic silver medalist has already committed fully to the biggest gamble of his career.