--- title: "Josh Kerr explains why the mile is special in Glasgow; returns after 60 years" sdDatePublished: "2026-08-01T13:11:00Z" source: "https://www.olympics.com/en/news/commonwealth-games-2026-what-makes-the-mile-race-so-special-josh-kerr-cam-myers" topics: - name: "sport" identifier: "medtop:15000000" locations: - "Tokyo" - "Anmore" - "Oslo" - "Espoo" - "Agía Paraskeví" - "Scotland" - "Glasgow" - "Bexleyheath" - "Île-de-France" - "United Kingdom" - "Australia" - "Kenya" --- Josh Kerr explains why the mile is special in Glasgow; returns after 60 years Commonwealth Games 2026: What makes the mile race so special? Josh Kerr, Cam Myers, Jake Wightman explain Commonwealth Games 2026: What makes the mile race so special? Josh Kerr, Cam Myers and Jake Wightman explain why the mile remains one of athletics' most treasured traditions, and why you should tune in to the 2026 Commonwealth Games final. "Walk a mile in someone's shoes" goes the old saying, a reminder that the best way to understand someone is to see the world from their perspective. While Olympics.com did not ask to borrow anyone's racing spikes in Glasgow, we did ask some of the world's best milers at the 2026 Commonwealth Games what makes the event so special. But first, let’s start with the basics. A mile measures 1,609.34 metres , four laps of a standard track plus just over nine extra metres. It is a distance that has long occupied a unique place in athletics , as it demands the perfect blend of speed, endurance and tactics. These days, the 1500m is far more common on international racing programmes. The mile, meanwhile, is reserved for only a handful of prestigious meetings each year, including (but not limited to) the Dream Mile in Oslo, the Bowerman Mile at the Prefontaine Classic, and the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games. Nor is the mile an Olympic event. That honour belongs to the 1500m, often referred to as the "metric mile", which made its Olympic debut in Athens 1896 and was chosen due to metric alignment and track measurements. But the mile still carries an air of mystique. The four-minute barrier, for example, was thought impossible until Roger Bannister broke it in 1954. More than 70 years later, running a sub-four-minute mile is still one of athletics' most impressive achievements. This week in Glasgow, the mile returns to the Commonwealth Games programme for the first time in 60 years. Naturally, much of the spotlight falls on Scotland's own Josh Kerr competing on home soil, having famously broken the world record at the 2026 London Diamond League just weeks prior (the new mark is pending ratification). As the Commonwealth mile final approaches on Saturday (1 August) , Olympics.com asked: what is it about this race that continues to captivate athletes and fans alike? And what can we expect from this year's men’s final? Commonwealth Games 2026: Athletics results – complete list Kerr's Silver Medal Performance in 1500m Final at Paris 2024 | Olympic Games Paris 2024 What makes the mile race so special? "I mean, it's just so old, it's so understood," world record holder Kerr told Olympics.com at LA Track Fest ahead of his record-breaking run. "Whether you run it in gym class or watch it at the professional level, everyone understands it hurts. Everyone understands there are tactics. It's a hard distance, and people understand it." Rising Australian star Cam Myers, U16 and U20 world record holder over the distance, agrees. "I think holding the mile [race] is a way that we can attract more people into the sport," Myers said. "Americans still love it. It's something regular people can resonate with a little bit more. "The 1500 is a weird one. It's not a ‘K’ [kilometre] that people know; it's not a 2K. I think people don't really understand the context behind it. It definitely doesn't hold the same value to ordinary fans." Perhaps, then, the question is not whether the mile is back, but whether it ever really got the attention it deserved. Roger Bannister: a mile under four minutes | Helsinki 1952 Watch how Roger Bannister became the first athlete to run a mile under four minutes during the 1500m race at the Helsinki 1952 Olympics. What to expect in the 2026 Commonwealth Games mile final Saturday night's Commonwealth Games final is the latest chance to answer that question. Kerr arrives fresh from breaking the iconic record in London. But for all the talk of times, the Scotsman knows that none of that will matter. "My mindset's been pretty similar throughout my career, but it is very different to go from racing a clock to racing these guys," he said. "These guys are really good, you know, some of the best milers in the world." "It's not about the time. It's about the racing tactics." The numbers back up his claim. Much like the mile, the men's 1500m has long been a difficult event to dominate, with only one man having ever successfully defended an Olympic 1500m title (current World Athletics president Sebastian Coe achieved that feat, winning in 1980 and 1984). Each of the past five men's world championships has produced a different winner, too. This is simply to say that while Kerr may be the fastest man in the field, that alone will not decide the race. Cameron Myers of Team Australia competes in the Men's One Mile Round 1 Nobody expects to bring tactics more than Australia's Myers. "I think it's a different ballgame [when you] come to a championship," Myers said. "Championship racing is about how you execute when it matters." The 20-year-old has no intention of simply watching Kerr take control, and even plans on spoiling some Scottish successes. Kerr's teammate Jake Wightman is also a world champion over the distance. "I think inevitably Kerr's gonna want to make a move at some point," Myers said. "He's shown that he's the fiercest in the field, so I think he'll want to make a move, and I'm not gonna let him go . "Everyone's cheering for the Scots and I'm sure they want to go one and two [in the results]," he added. " I'm trying to spoil that . I'm not going there to come second. I think Saturday night's gonna be one of the best nights we have." His comments have drawn comparisons to one of the greatest rivalries the mile has ever seen. Myers himself referenced Roger Bannister and Australia's John Landy , whose unforgettable "Miracle Mile" duel at the Vancouver 1954 British Empire and Commonwealth Games (as the Commonwealth Games were then known) echoes in tomorrow’s final storyline. Bannister had become the first man under four minutes before Landy broke his record just weeks later, only for Bannister to get revenge in Vancouver. Kerr hopes to repeat Bannister's outcome by feeding off the infectious energy of the Scottish crowd, acknowledging what a “privilege” it is to run in a home championships. That atmosphere will only intensify with both Kerr and Wightman carrying home hopes in the final. "I know my strengths and the one thing I'll always try and do is I'll run to win," Wightman said, keeping his cards close to his chest. "How I'll do that, I actually don't know myself yet, and whatever you think's gonna happen might not ." Even Myers believes Wightman "is gonna want to win it just as much as Kerr does". Wightman is not the only world champion in the mix either, as the stacked field also includes 2019 world champion and Tokyo 2020 silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot of Kenya. Medal Moment | Tokyo 2020: Athletics 1500m - J Ingebrigtsen (NOR) A truly medal-worthy performance from J Ingebrigtsen. Take a look at one of their greatest moments! Josh Kerr on the mile: "It's going to be war out there" So amidst all the uncertainty of who will top the prestigious podium, one thing is clear: "It's going to be a war out there, " Kerr concluded. "For us it's home ground. It's our track. That's what we grew up racing on and where we learned, and it's our crowd. The rest of those guys want to take what's ours, and they're going to have to come with something about them on Saturday night because they're not going to get it easy ." These storylines, the world record, and this final are exactly what Kerr and the rest of the field hope will give the mile the following it deserves. "It took a lot of work to get us to this spot, but I'm glad I was the one kind of leading that charge, and hopefully we've got some good people to follow me," Kerr explained. "To even be world record holder now, and be rubbing shoulders with those kind of guys... hopefully bring a bit more energy back to the mile . It's just what I'm here to do." Picture by 2026 Getty Images 23 July - 2 August Commonwealth Games 2026 | Glasgow | United Kingdom