Josh Kerr: I want to be the best 1500m runner of this era - "That means I need to have more titles.. and run faster times."

High hopes wrote:

Official Jakob Ingebrigtsen wrote:

Jakob is undeniably the best in the era. Any sane person would say this.

I disagree. I don't think it's clear who is the best of this era. From 2019 to today, five different people have won gold at each of the five global champs. Two guys have medals from three of those champs (Jakob and Kerr) but still only one gold each. No doubt, Jakob dominates the circuit, but that's a very specific type of racing and those races are kind of meaningless in the grand scheme of things, unless he does eventually the WR in one of them. So I don't think there's a clear best of the era.

What I will say for Jakob is that he's the most important 1500m runner since El G. He has changed the game entirely and raised the floor of the event. Every single guy on the circuit owes the PB to Jakob. There still hasn't been a sub-3:30 race without Jakob for at least five years. Just watch any DL 1500 when Jakob isn't running and it is inevitably won in a une above 3:30. While he hasn't yet raised the ceiling of the 1500, he's made it the current field the most competitive in history. When they're all retired and looking back, I think even his fiercest rivals will recognise that.

rojo wrote:

A good interview with him in AW:

Link:athleticsweekly.com/interviews/josh-ke...

Some of my favorite excerpts.

1) He's got no regrts about Paris. I loved this:

“What allows me to be content is that I did everything I could for the best result, and that was the best result I could ever get,” says the Edinburgh AC athlete. “I’m not like: ‘I should have done this or that, and the result would have changed’. That was the best 1500m race I’ve ever run, and could be the best 1500m race I will ever run in my life. [Silver] wasn’t what we wanted but I’m still very proud of what it was.”

and on wanting to be the best.

“I’m trying to be the best 1500m runner of our era, and that means I need to have more titles than everyone else and run faster times, so anyone that’s going to challenge that will hear my honest opinion on their life and their racing,” states Kerr. “I wouldn’t say I have a particular standpoint on any of these guys right now, but if they say something or do something that I don’t quite agree with, I will let them know that.”

Hobbyhurdler wrote:

I think 2025 might be Kerr's last great chance to win a gold medal in a major championships (if we count outdoor championships)

Most 1500m runners are in their prime between the year they turn 23 and the year they turn 27 (With some exceptions of course) Kerr turns 28 this october. He will be one month away from his 30th birthday during the 2027 WC.

I took a look at the all-time top 25 list, and 6 of those guys set their PBs outside the "23 to 27-window". Ngeny turned 22 the year he set his PB, Iguider turned 28, Farah turned 30, Kwemoi turned 19 (might have incorrect birthdate/year), Cacho turned 28, Kipchirchir Komen turned 22

And if we look at Olympic and World champions from 1980 and up until today the oldest winners are:

1. Bernard Lagat 32 years 8 months (Osaka 2007)

2. Hicham El Guerrouj 29 years 11 months (Athens 2004)

3. Hicham El Guerrouj 28 years 11 months (Paris 2003)

4. Jake Wightman 28 years 0 months (Eugene 2022)

5. Sebastian Coe 27 years 10 months (Los Angeles 1984)

So Tokyo 2025 might be Kerr's last great chance. I'm not certain what the winning time in Tokyo will be, but I'm pretty sure it will be sub-3:30. The last 5 consecutive championships have all been won in a sub-3:30 time. If the winning time is 3:29.xx or 3:27.xx is another conversation.

(I might be wrong, but most 1500m runners are in their prime in their mid-20s)

(If we include the Commonwealth Games as "Major outdoor championships" he might have a chance in the 2026 edition. But he doesn't have to face Jakob, Hocker, Nuguse, Kessler or Laros in that one)