I got a little bit antsy

Josh Kerr had a fantastic outing on the opening day of Grand Slam Track Miami. Competing in the short distance event group, he emerged victorious in the 1500m race. After the competition, the Brit shared his honest opinion on the race and how competing alongside 800m runners affected his strategies.

Kerr signed with GST in June 2024 much to the excitement of fans. In April earlier this year, the Olympic medalist competed at the inaugural edition of Grand Slam Track. In Kingston, he was dealt with two disappointing results, first a fifth place finish in the 1500m, followed by a last-place finish in the 800m.

This time around, Josh Kerr has gotten his Grand Slam Track campaign off to a strong start. Competing at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miami, the 27-year-old clocked a 3:34.51 for the 1500m win. In a post race media interaction, Kerr opened up about how competing against 800m runners affected his strategy, saying,

“I think just knowing that those 800m guys are going to be there at the close, even though their top end speed is faster, hopefully we can hold on to more before that last 100m. So you know, I wanted to go as hard as I could, and so I just waited and waited and waited and tried to oversell my hand. I got a little bit antsy with 110m to go, I should have waited, but I’m very happy with the way that I executed today.”

Behind Kerr, America’s Yared Nuguse and Cole Hocker placed second and third, registering times of 3:34.65 and 3:34.79 respectively.

Josh Kerr reflects on his mindset Grand Slam Track Miami

For Josh Kerr, his top of the podium finish at Grand Slam Track Miami marks the first time he’s won a 1500m race since the Paris Olympics. The Brit chose to forgo the 2025 indoor competitions, and struggled with outdoor races at his season opener in Kingston last month.

Talking to media after his win, Kerr outlined the mindset that led him to victory, saying,

“I was super present lap by lap. I wasn’t thinking about the final lap until I got there. With 450m (to go), I came into a solid position, I just needed to not fight too much on that backstretch to get the win. I executed exactly what I wanted to today.

He went on to explain why he got emotional after the race, saying,

“I’m surrounded by amazing racers and a lot of emotion came out of me at the end there. I think it’s mostly just due to not having the best winter, being a little bit behind but knowing that I’m back now.’

Josh Kerr will return to action on Saturday, May 3. The Brit will compete in the Grand Slam Track Miami 800m race, which is scheduled to take place at 7:05 PM.