Josh Kerr has been chasing the Wanamaker Mile title for years, but the one victory he wants most at the Millrose Games has continued to escape him. He finished second twice and fourth once in his three appearances, only to see his next attempt ruined by illness in 2025. He also missed out on another chance in 2026, when he chose to compete in the two-mile instead. Now, after years of waiting, the British distance runner is getting another opportunity to claim the trophy that has remained out of his reach throughout his Millrose career.

CITIUS MAG shared a post on X on November 12, announcing that Kerr will return to New York on February 13, 2027, to headline the men’s Wanamaker Mile at the 119th Millrose Games. It will be his seventh appearance at the meet and his first time competing in the mile since 2022. Kerr has already won the 3,000m and two-mile events at Millrose, but the Wanamaker Mile is the one title missing from his record there. 

This time, he is not hiding what he wants. “I’m coming to Millrose to win. The Wanamaker Mile is one of the most iconic races in our sport, and I want to put on a show worthy of that history,” Kerr said.

His pursuit of the Wanamaker Mile title began in 2018, when he finished second in the race. He returned the following year but slipped to fourth place. In 2022, he was back on the podium, finishing runner-up behind Australia’s Ollie Hoare with a time of 3:52.27. Despite coming close on two occasions, Kerr has never managed to take the top spot in the race.

After that 2022 appearance, he turned his attention to other distances at Millrose. He won the 3,000m in 2023 before claiming the two-mile title in 2024 with a time of 8:00.67, setting an indoor world best at the time. His focus on longer races also reflected his training plans as he worked towards the 5,000m.

Kerr was supposed to return to the Wanamaker Mile in 2025, and he made it clear how much the race meant to him. Speaking to CITIUS MAG before the event, he said, “I want this Wanamaker title. I don’t care if it’s in four minutes or if it’s in 3:45. I want this title pretty bad.” But illness forced him to withdraw before the race, leaving him to watch from the sidelines as American Yared Nuguse won in a world indoor record of 3:46.63.

The Wanamaker Mile also remained off Kerr’s schedule in 2026. He chose the two-mile event instead, finishing second behind Cole Hocker. His return to racing that season came after a difficult period, as he had suffered a Grade 2 tear in his right calf during the 1,500m final at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. He continued to the finish despite the injury and later went through rehabilitation.

Since then, Kerr has added another remarkable achievement to his career. On July 18, 2026, he ran 3:42.66 at the London Diamond League, breaking Hicham El Guerrouj’s mile world record of 3:43.13, which had stood since 1999. It was a landmark performance, but Kerr still has unfinished business in New York.

With the 2027 Millrose Games approaching, Kerr has another opportunity to finally claim the Wanamaker Mile title. But that is far from the only goal on his mind. 

Josh Kerr has bigger goals beyond the Wanamaker Mile

 After breaking the mile world record in July 2026, Kerr revealed that his attention had already turned to the men’s 1500m record of 3:26.00, which has stood since 1998. Reflecting on his achievement, he wrote, “I was soon thinking about a certain 1500-meter world record that has stood since 1998, one year longer than the mile.”

Olympic gold is another prize Kerr wants to add to his collection. He won bronze in the 1500m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics before taking silver at Paris 2024. Now, he made it clear that he wants a different result in Los Angeles in 2028. “I want to get what I deserve in LA,” Kerr told BBC Sport. He also told NBC Sports, “I’m missing a very important medal for my set,” referring to the Olympic gold that has so far eluded him.

Kerr’s ambitions go beyond medals and records. He also wants to leave his mark on the history of middle-distance running. In an April 2026 interview with Runner’s World UK, he said, “I want to be remembered as the best 1500m runner of our generation, hopefully of any generation.” And there is an even bigger challenge he hopes to take on later in his career.

Despite building his reputation as a middle-distance runner, Kerr has spoken about his desire to compete in a marathon and win one of the major races. “I want to win a world major marathon. And I think that I’m capable of going after that at some point in my career,” he told Runner’s World. For now, though, his attention will be on the track, with the Wanamaker Mile offering another chance to claim a title he has chased for years.