Josh Kerr: Scotland star lauded as ‘most special man on the planet' after Glasgow gold – ‘He's unbeatable at the moment’
Updated 02/08/2026 at 12:08 GMT+1
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Josh Kerr was labelled the "most special man on the planet" after he surged clear in the final lap to win gold in the men's Mile final in front of an admiring Glasgow crowd, two weeks after breaking the world record in London.
‘The fireworks go off!’ – Kerr sends Glasgow crowd wild after winning Mile gold
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The 28-year-old was the clear favourite heading into the race but appeared to be boxed in until the last lap bell prompted an acceleration.
He powered clear of his rivals, including team-mate Jake Wightman, and cruised unopposed to the finish line to a chorus of cheers.
Kerr's time of 3:54.12 was 12 seconds slower than the world record time he set in London, but that did not detract at all from another memorable night for the Edinburgh native.
"Was it ever in doubt?" asked TNT Sports commentator Katharine Merry, to which co-commentator Chris Dennis replied: "I think 11,000 people here in Scotland would say 'no it wasn't'. But he did it the hard way.
"That was one of the most physical races I've seen in a long time, so much pushing, bumping and barging, and Kerr with 600 metres to go was still boxed in. He did so well to extricate himself."
Former sprinter and TNT Sports pundit Iwan Thomas was effusive in his praise of Kerr.
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"There was no one had the turn of pace like him," he said. "The confidence of the man is sky-high. World champion, indoors, outdoors, world record holder, he was not going to let anyone beat him tonight.
"When you're an athlete, and you're in that mindset, and you're so fit, it's only you who can beat you. It was going to take a very special man to beat him tonight and at the moment he is the most special man on the planet.
"He got the world record two weeks ago. That's perfect timing, it's out of his legs, he's ready to go again.
"I'm not being rude to his opponents, they're world-class athletes, and he absolutely gapped them. With 150m to go, it was like he was racing young schoolboys, he just showed them a clean pair of heels and he was gone. He's unbeatable at the moment."
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‘Absolutely incredible’ – Kerr says Commonwealth Games gold means ‘everything’
Video credit: TNT Sports
TNT Sports expert Jonnie Peacock added: "It had everything. That's what I love about Josh, he is so aggressive. We were all a little bit worried coming into that final lap, but maybe he wasn't.
"You're seeing so much: his speed reserve, his fight, his spirit. Nobody can touch him in the last 200m. It's absolutely incredible.
"This was his moment, you could see it on the start line, he was pumped. The mental form that he's in, you can't touch him. People underestimate it when it comes to championships, that sometimes is more important than physicality.
"He's been thinking about this for weeks, this is Glasgow, this is his city, he wants this. He knew what he was capable of."
'This is absolutely incredible'
Kerr said after the race that he always had the required energy to pull clear and highlighted the significance of a gold medal in front of a Scottish crowd.
Asked what the win meant, he told TNT Sports: "Everything. This was the championships of my season, this is the one we had circled in the calendar.
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‘Most special man on the planet' – TNT pundits in awe of Kerr display to win gold
Video credit: TNT Sports
"I didn't put my performance together like I wanted in 2022 [at the Birmingham Games] and a British crowd deserved more from me, so I owed them that for sure.
"When you're running that slow your job is not to waste energy and I did that very well. I knew an opportunity would open up.
"Jake [Wightman] was on my outside and he's such a great closer, so I knew the door would open when it was time. I had enough energy to put a gap on them in the last 200m. I thought I'd go early to save everyone some stress.
"London was a big stress, pushing my body to the extreme limit. Coming in and doing a championship race is a nice clean of palate, using your brain instead of your body as much. It's how I like to race and it's nice to be back.
"This is absolutely incredible, to do it in front of a Scottish crowd where I learnt how to race. I came here week after week growing up as a kid.
"We're very fortunate in Scotland to have great facilities. To have a home Games like this, hopefully we can continue the depth of the athletes coming through."
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