British Olympian Josh Ker was poised to compete at the 2025 Milrose games against Yared Nuguse but faced a late withdrawal.
Olympic silver medalist Josh Kerr has opened up about his absence from the 2025 Milrose Games, where he was expected to face off against top competitors, including Yared Nuguse.
The highly anticipated showdown ultimately did not materialise as Kerr was sidelined due to illness, leaving Nuguse to claim victory in record-breaking fashion.
Nuguse delivered a stunning performance, shattering the Wanamaker Mile record.
He clocked an incredible 3:46.63, surpassing the previous indoor mile world record of 3:47.01 set by Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha six years ago.
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Prior to the race, Kerr had expressed confidence in his own ability to achieve such a feat.
“Could I run a world record today? Maybe starting to look up now, isn’t it?” Kerr remarked in a race-day vlog leading up to the Milrose Games.
At the time, Kerr was battling illness but remained hopeful of competing.
“I puked bad at like two, but other than that, the other ones are pretty simple,” he stated while trying to persuade his team to let him race.
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“I mean, look, most people wouldn’t race, but I’m not most people. That is a—it’s a factor that I risk in every single time that I race. You know, if that’s worst-case scenario, that I get last, then that’s not that bad.”
Despite his determination, his coaching team ultimately decided against his participation, and Kerr was forced to watch from the sidelines as Nuguse claimed the title.
Reflecting on the missed opportunity, Kerr admitted his disappointment but acknowledged that sitting out was the right call.
“I think we made the right decision. Yesterday was very ropey. I tried to, you know, take some medication, and it kind of masked some of the stuff that was going on, but still was feeling real bad pretty much throughout the whole day,” he said.
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“Couldn’t really drink or eat anything or keep anything down, and then, yeah, just, you know, pretty much slept all of yesterday. And feeling a little bit better today. So, yeah, frustrating for sure, but I think definitely the right decision.”
Kerr also emphasised the importance of seeing the bigger picture, stating, “I think sometimes as athletes, we get so kind of involved in what we’re doing in the moment where we kind of forget the big picture.”
“You know, whenever I go into a race, I think it’s the biggest deal in the world, and Milrose is such a big event for me every year. So I wanted to get it right, and I wanted to be in it, but it just wasn’t the right decision,” he added.
Though he knows stepping aside was necessary, Kerr couldn’t hide his frustration.
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“You watch those races and you’re like, you know, I think I could have done this or that. And, you know, I think the athletes put a really good show on yesterday, and I—I want to be a part of that, but just wasn’t my day.”
While Kerr was sidelined, the Milrose Games delivered more historic performances particularly from his rivals.
Grant Fisher shattered the world indoor 3,000-meter record with a time of 7:22.91, eclipsing Nuguse’s previous American indoor record of 7:28.23.
Fisher had to outduel his American compatriot Cole Hocker, the 1,500-meter gold medalist from the Paris Olympics, in a thrilling contest.
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Despite his disappointment, Kerr remains focused on the bigger picture, acknowledging that his team made the right decision for his long-term success.
