Josh Kerr continued his dominant season by capturing the men’s Ultimate 1500 meters title with apparent ease at the recent championship event. The Scottish middle-distance runner secured victory in 3 minutes 29.35 seconds, edging out Australian competitor Cam Myers by 0.33 seconds. Kerr’s winning move came during the final 250 meters, when he overtook race leader Yared Nuguse. Starting the last lap in third place, Kerr methodically advanced through the field before establishing a decisive lead down the stretch.
Despite an underwhelming warm-up, Kerr maintained composure to close out the race confidently. When asked about Myers, the recent Diamond League final winner, Kerr acknowledged his opponent’s quality but noted that once he surged ahead with 120 meters remaining, he felt assured of his win. The event was notably missing Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who had earned acclaim with a 5,000-meter victory earlier in the meet but opted to skip the 1500m to prioritize career longevity. Kerr praised Ingebrigtsen’s achievement and respected his decision to rest.
Kerr, 28, will now take a break after concluding a landmark season that included breaking the world mile record and collecting three major titles: world indoor championship gold over 3000 meters, Commonwealth Games gold in the mile, and the Ultimate Championship trophy. Looking ahead, he has set his sights on challenging the world 1500 meters record in 2027 and 2028, acknowledging the physical and mental challenges that accompany elite competition.
On the women’s side, American sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden delivered a standout performance in the 200 meters, clocking 21.47 seconds—the fourth fastest time ever recorded—despite facing a slight headwind. Olympic champion Gabby Thomas finished second in 21.77 seconds, while Britain’s Amy Hunt placed fourth with a season-best 22.10 seconds in her 47th race of the year. Hunt expressed anticipation for an upcoming offseason highlight, noting plans for rest and time spent with family.
In the men’s 400 meters hurdles, reigning world record holder Alison Dos Santos posted the third fastest time in history, running 45.98 seconds in a highly competitive race featuring world champion Rai Benjamin and former world champion Karsten Warholm. Benjamin remarked on the significance of the athletes’ performances, emphasizing that the consistency and quality should not be overlooked.
The men’s javelin event showcased Rumesh Pathirage, who capped a breakthrough season by winning with a throw of 91.09 meters. Pathirage credited his development in javelin to insights gained from cricket, highlighting technical similarities between the sports.
In the men’s 800 meters, Algerian runner Djamel Sedjati triumphed in 1:41.91, narrowly overtaking Canadian frontrunner Marco Arop. Other notable performances included Italy’s Gianmarco Tamberi clearing a world-leading 2.37 meters in the high jump and American Kenny Bednarek winning the men’s 200 meters in a season-best 19.52 seconds, ahead of Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, who clocked 19.76 seconds.