World records and world leading marks will be on the line on Saturday at the London Athletics meet, which also serves as the eleventh Diamond League meeting of the series.
All eyes will be on Josh Kerr, who has chosen the meet on his home turf to attempt to break the world record in the men’s mile, with the effort and hype around it billed as “Project 222” as he looks to take down Hicham El Guerrouj’s 3:43.13 from 1999.
“I’ve had belief in myself for a long time,” Kerr said at Friday’s press conference. “It’s not something that is difficult for me. Obviously when you put the work in for these things and you have the coaching staff that understands how to coach for these things, it’s just believing in and trusting everyone to do their jobs. It was a dream for a long time, but I knew it could be a reality for a long time.”
Kerr will have his work cut out for him not only on the world record attempt but in trying to win the race as the field that includes Yared Nuguse and Ethan Strand simply won’t be on the tract to watch a shot at history. Expect an all-out battle seconds after the bell lap.
Meanwhile Keely Hodgkinson will use the same home field advantage to push her through the women’s 800m against a group that includes Femke Broeders-Bol, Jemma Rekkie and Tsige Duguma.
“I’m not putting any pressure on myself to chase times of everybody else’s expectation,” Hodgkinson said. “I know what I’m capable of and I know it’s going to be there when I need it — whether that’s tomorrow, whether that’s the European final, whether it’s the World Ultras — I trust my team. I’ll be ready when I need to be.”
Mondo Duplantis headlines the men’s pole vault against familiar competitors like Emmanouil Karalis, Kurtis Marschall, Sam Kendricks and Chris Nilsen after returning to his winning ways at last week’s meet in Monaco and in Paris in late June.
“I’m really motivated and I feel really fiery,” Duplantis said. “And I feel like I really want to go out there and push it hard. Of course it gets naturally more and more difficult. I would say it’s just these tiny margins that make the difference.”
In the men’s 400m, Rai Benjamin leads a stacked men’s 400m field, while Gabby Thomas and Julien Alfred line up in what will be an intense In the women’s 200m clash while Oblique Seville can make a statement in the men’s 100m and Jamal Britt’s stellar season in the men’s 110m hurdles continues.
Emmanuel Wanyonyi could be in record form again like last week’s heroics in Monaco as he leads the way in the men’s 800m while Marileidy Paulino will have the target on her back in the women’s 400m.
Event Schedule
8:04 a.m. – Women’s Discus
8:30 a.m. – Men’s Pole Vault
9:03 a.m. – Men’s 400m Hurdles
9:10 a.m. – Women’s High Jump
9:14 a.m. – Women’s 400m
9:25 a.m. – Men’s 800m
9:35 a.m. – Women’s 3,000m
9:49 a.m. – Women’s Long Jump
9:53 a.m. – Men’s 110m Hurdles
10:04 a.m. – Men’s 100m
10:15 a.m. – Women’s 200m
10:26 a.m. – Men’s 400m
10:36 a.m. – Men’s Mile
10:51 a.m. – Women’s 800m
How To Watch
The Diamond League YouTube channel will broadcast the event in select countries. In the United States, coverage will be provided by FloTrack beginning at 9 a.m., while CBC Sports will air the event in Canada and viewers in the United Kingdom can watch via BBC 1.
All times Eastern.
2026 Diamond League season schedule
May 16 – Shanghai/Keqiao
May 23 – Xiamen
May 31 – Rabat
June 4 – Rome
June 7 – Stockholm
June 10 – Oslo
June 19 – Doha
June 28 – Paris
July 4 – Eugene
July 10 – Monaco
July 18 – London
August 21 – Lausanne
August 23 – Silesia
August 27 – Zurich
September 4-5 – Final in Brussels
