Josh Kerr: ‘Grand Slam Track is the start of a new era, the stakes are so high’

The 1,500m world champion tells Jack Rathborn how he is embracing ‘a new era’ for athletics when he kicks off his Grand Slam Track campaign on Saturday and why he has no regrets after beating rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen but failing to win gold at last summer’s Olympics

Josh Kerr is ready to feel uncomfortable this year, both on the track and in front of the camera, with the 1,500m world champion embracing a year of change.

Just seven weeks ago, the Briton was violently sick and could be heard hunched over in a Boston bathroom. That revealing footage, on Kerr’s newly launched YouTube channel, demonstrated a commitment to lifting the curtain behind the pursuit of greatness.

Kerr and his Brooks Beasts team could be seen agonising over the decision to withdraw from the Wanamaker Mile and a rare world record attempt.

Now recovered, after skipping the indoor season, including the defence of his world indoor title over 3,000m, Kerr is embarking on what he describes as “a new era” for the sport.

The legendary Olympic champion Michael Johnson launches Grand Slam Track on Friday over three days in Kingston, Jamaica, with Kerr ready to not only duke it out over 1,500m but also come out of his comfort zone to battle over 800m, too, thanks to the league’s innovative new format.

A silver medallist at last year’s Olympics, Kerr conceivably won the battle in his notorious rivalry with Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who will not be competing at Grand Slam Track, but ultimately lost the war after Cole Hocker claimed a surprise gold. The road to the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo is in the distance, pushed back to September, which should allow space for a more intense period of racing at Grand Slam Track, not to mention opportunities for self-promotion. With some British athletes asked to self-fund international appearances, Kerr recognises more than ever the value of building his brand.

“You have to push the line for it to be interesting to watch,” Kerr tells The Independent. “So I want to give fresh insight to my ideas and provide a bit more of a raw approach for younger athletes coming through, or people interested in the sport that want more content to watch or to have more context about what it takes to get on the start line and try to run world records.

“I’m going to have to push my boundaries of how comfortable I am in front of the camera. I want to share that as much as I can so that people know what the process looks like and then it can be a bit more relatable.”

Cole Hocker, Kerr, Yared Nuguse and Jakob Ingebrigtsen battle to the line in Paris (PA Wire)

Kerr, Hocker and Nuguse will all compete at Grand Slam Track (Getty)

The nature of social media has seen some negative comments directed at Kerr, yet that came as little surprise to the 27-year-old Scot. He insists he has endured similar treatment since his time studying and racing at the University of New Mexico, through to that golden moment in Budapest in 2023.

“When you put yourself out there more and you’re pushing boundaries, you’re going to run into great comments and bad comments,” Kerr admits. “I think most of them are trying to be helpful. But, you know, you’re not doing anything if you don’t have people hating on you. It doesn’t really affect me. I’ve had that throughout my whole career, people are always going to be annoyed at change.”

Since upsetting Ingebrigtsen two years ago, Kerr has routinely been dragged into a bitter war of words with his Norwegian rival. But, when pushed over whether the rivalry was a distraction, Kerr has no regrets, despite Hocker sneaking past him at the Stade de France in a race for the ages.

“I wouldn’t change anything because I didn’t do anything out of my character,” Kerr insists. “It blew up into this big thing because of you guys, the media, but you have got to promote the sport and that’s great. Some people loved it, some people hated it.

(AFP/Getty)

‘I have to be ruthless in my pursuit of excellence’: Kerr at the Olympic Games in Paris (Getty)

“I would have handled it the exact same way, I’m going to be honest about my competitors because I think it does a disservice when you’re turning questions down and lying about your own opinions. So I think we all have a duty in the sport to promote it and a lot of that can come from honesty.”

Kerr is relishing the chance to race more, moving away from the more heavily controlled races with pacemakers traditionally seen on the circuit outside of major championships.

With $100,000 (£77,000) up for grabs at each of the four meets this year, competition will be fiercer than ever. Kerr’s main competition will likely come in the form of 1,500m Olympic champion Hocker, 1,500m bronze medallist Yared Nuguse and the unknown quantity of 800m Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi.

“I have to be ruthless in my pursuit of excellence,” Kerr insists. “As soon as I cross the finish line, I let my guard down a little bit. It was the same with the Olympics. I didn’t come away with goal A but being the fastest runner in British history isn’t a bad little backup.

“I don’t think there’s the right balance [between races with and without pacers] outdoors. It’s usually four months of time trial after time trial. So that’s what’s nice about Grand Slam Track coming in. It’s going to be riveting competition between the best athletes. That’s what I like. It’s what motivates me at the moment. World record attempts are great, and it’s really entertaining to watch as well. But we just need to get the balance a little bit better outdoors.

“This is the start of a new era for track and field, it’s a massive deal. I can’t wait to go and race in Jamaica. There’s a lot more money on the line, which will make it more entertaining for those watching. The stakes are so high.”