NEW YORK (Feb. 9) — As good as world 1,500-meter champion Josh Kerr is at performing under pressure, he's even better at resisting it.
After winning the world title in Budapest last summer, the 26-year-old Scottish athlete missed the Wanda Diamond League final in Eugene, much to the chagrin of Diamond League and World Athletics officials. Instead, he ended the season with a win at our rainy New Balance Fifth Avenue Mile last weekend. He didn't see the point in extending the season another week when he was already feeling tired.
“Every day was tough,” Kerr told reporters last September. “Obviously, it's a very first time for me to win a major (title). So it was kind of mentally draining and exhausting, getting a lot of media coverage every day. You know. I've given my all to this race and I really wanted to do it.'' So mentally I'm very tired. ”
Throughout the autumn and winter, Kerr has been asked whether he would like to compete at next month's World Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow, a rare opportunity for the Scot to compete at a world championship on his home soil. Kerr's compatriot Laura Muir has already accepted the chance to win gold at the beautiful Emirates Arena, but Kerr is yet to make a decision. He was here today with Brooks Beast Track Club coach Danny McKee to aim for Mo Farah's world-best time of 8:03.40 after running two miles at Sunday's Millrose Games. He said he would ultimately make his decision in Glasgow.
“I think that decision will be made after this weekend,” he told Race Results Weekly in an interview at a midtown hotel. “So people will probably find out what I'm going to do after this weekend. Look, I just want to compete at a high level. I ran the World Indoor Championships more than anything. I want to, but I have to.'' It makes sense. My body can't fight it. ”
Kerr, who first ran at Millrose in 2018 when he was a student-athlete at the University of New Mexico, likes the idea of starting his 2024 Olympic campaign with a long-distance race. After running a 1:01:51 (downhill) half marathon in San Diego last December, Kerr came to New York from high altitude Albuquerque, where he was training with Beast. At this time of year, the two-mile feels more appropriate for him, rather than the event's signature Wanamaker Mile, where Kerr has finished second three times. A year ago, he ran the 3,000 meters at Millrose, winning in 7:33.47, the third-fastest time for a European athlete in the 2023 season. He considered this an important result to prepare for a successful outdoor season.
“I spend most of the fall and winter doing long distances, increasing mileage and things like that,” Kerr told reporters at a press conference here today. “It seems like it's a little bit of a leap to start all the way from the mile. But I always like to come here to Millrose and compete. I've run that mile probably four, three, four times. But I haven’t run yet.’ I still have plenty of wins there, but last year I was able to step it up to 3-K and win. So I thought I could recreate something pretty similar, meaning I could have a similar setup. 1 year. “
Meeting director Ray Flynn (who also represents Mr. Kerr) used two pacemakers, Hazem Miawad and A.J. It is scheduled to pass the meter in 5 minutes 02 seconds. Kerr will face strong rivals like Ethiopia's Samuel Fayawu. Americans Grant Fisher, Cole Hocker, and Joe Klecker; New Zealander Geordie Beamish. and Australian Morgan McDonald – so he will be running the final laps with many of his mates. The American best records of 8:07.07 (outdoor) and 8:07.41 (indoor) could also be broken.
Kerr did not say whether a particular result would lead to a decision on whether to play in Glasgow. But he made it clear that it could not be enforced.
“The race schedule is very fluid,” Kerr explained. “It has to do with how your training is progressing. You can't really resist how your training is progressing. In my case, I signed up for some very competitive races. That's what excites me. It's a reason to keep going.'' He added, “It's just fun to play against a great field.''
Additionally, Kerr told reporters that racing indoors is not only taxing on his body (due to the tight turns), but also takes away valuable build-up time outdoors as he prepares for his second Olympics. It reminded me that it can also be.
“If I had pushed, there might have been some situations in practice, and maybe that would have ruined further training going forward,” Kerr said. “As you know, the indoor 200m track is not necessarily the best fit for us. We have to be aware of that. If you don't run the World Indoor Race, you probably won't run.” I'm going to do it. ”
Kerr's gold medal was a big boost for kit sponsor Brooks. Athletes wearing Nike and Adidas shoes dominate the middle-distance medals at major championships, with Kerr becoming Brooks' first world champion. For Sunday's game here, the Seattle-based company provided Kerr with a new uniform and special cleats.
“It was a great process with them,” Kerr said. “I was their first Olympic medalist and I was their first world champion. So they had a great time over the last few months making my new uniform.” He added, “The spike team put together a design spike for me, and I'll be making my debut here again on Sunday. It's been a lot of fun pushing the boundaries and raising the bar for the Brooks Beast.” added.
