Jake Wightman vs Josh Kerr at Millrose Games

The British middle-distance duo will compete against each other indoors for the first time ever in New York City on February 1.

Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr are both part of a world-class two-mile line-up at this year’s Millrose Games in New York City.

It marks the first time that the 2022 and 2023 world champions have faced each other in an indoor environment, having already raced on the track, roads and over cross-country.

Wightman, who will be making his debut at the Millrose Games, has never raced over two miles before, either indoors or outdoors. He does however have a personal best of 7:37.81 over 3000m.

This won’t be Kerr’s first appearance at the meeting, given he set a two-mile world best of 8:00.67 at the 2024 edition.

The pair last faced each other in the 1500m final at the World Athletics Championships, with Wightman narrowly missing out on gold to Portugal’s Isaac Nader. Kerr meanwhile suffered a right calf injury but still limped home to cross the line in Tokyo.

Wightman and Kerr both ran for Edinburgh AC as juniors but their first race against each other was 10 years ago, the duo battling it out at the Scottish Inter District Championships during the Great Edinburgh Cross Country International.

They have since competed in a myriad of track races together, including Olympics and world championships. The pair have also faced each other on the roads at the New York 5th Avenue Mile.

While there is significant British interest in the two-mile race at the Millrose Games, Wightman and Kerr are just two of many world-class athletes in the event.

For starters, the prestigious field also includes Grant Fisher and Cole Hocker.

Fisher, an Olympic 5000m and 10,000m bronze medallist from Paris, is the world indoor 3000m (7:22.91) and 5000m (12:44.09) record-holder, having beaten Hocker in the 3000m at last year’s Millrose Games.

In the 2024 edition, where Kerr set a two-mile best indoors, Fisher placed second to the Brit with 8:03.62, putting the US athlete third on the indoor all-time list.

Hocker, the reigning Olympic 1500m and world 5000m champion,  was third in that race two years ago with 8:05.70, which sees him sixth on the indoor all-time list.

Other athletes to watch out for are world 3000m steeplechase champion George Beamish, Ethan Strand and Ky Robinson. The rest of the line-up includes Graham Blanks, Drew Hunter, Edwin Kurgat, Cooper Teare and Parker Wolfe.