The much-anticipated men’s 1500m at the inaugural World Ultimate Championship lived up to its billing, delivering a tactical thriller on the same track where Josh Kerr claimed his breakout global crown three years ago.
Kerr mastered a fast early tempo set by Germany’s Robert Farken and a later surge from America’s Yared Nuguse. The British star stayed buried in the pack before unleashing his trademark devastating finish.
The 28-year-old clocked 3:29.35, lowering his own Hungarian all-comers’ record by 0.03 seconds. He held off Australia’s Cam Myers to secure another global title.
Kerr Produces a Devastating Finish
The race opened at a swift pace before Nuguse injected another surge with 500m remaining.
He led the field through 1200m in 2:49.91, forcing the pace as the contenders began to position themselves for the finish.
Kerr remained patient in the pack.
With 300m to go, he smoothly moved onto Nuguse’s shoulder. The Briton had timed his move perfectly and was now in position to unleash his finishing speed.
Kerr covered the final 200m in a blistering 26.02 seconds.
Myers stayed close throughout the homestretch and gave everything in pursuit. However, he could not match Kerr’s final burst.
Kerr crossed the line first in 3:29.35, followed by Myers in 3:29.68.
America’s Hobbs Kessler finished third in 3:30.74, ahead of Olympic champion Cole Hocker, who also clocked 3:30.74.
Kerr Praises the New Competition
Kerr revealed that his limited racing this season helped him arrive in Budapest fresh.
“I didn’t race a lot this season so I kind of came here fresh and ready to go,” said Kerr. “Cameron is an awesome athlete, he was pushing a lot but I managed to look at the screen and see what the gap was.”
The British star also offered strong support for the new event.
“This sport has moved on in the past couple of years, and I’m impressed where it is now. Anything that can move the sport in the right direction and do good for athletes, I support.”
Myers Has No Regrets
Despite finishing second, Myers was delighted with his performance.
“I ran the perfect race,” he said. “I thought with 200m to go that I was going to win and that is an exciting feeling. Josh was just too strong today and that shows why he is a world record-holder.”
The victory adds another prestigious title to Kerr’s growing resume. It complements his 2023 outdoor world crown and his two world indoor 3000m titles.