Norwegian Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen will race alongside British world champion Josh Kerr over 1500 metres at the London Athletics Meet in July, British Athletics said on Friday.
The duo’s first-ever encounter on British soil, scheduled for July 19, promises to reignite the rivalry that emerged during their meeting in Budapest, where Kerr made his move with 200 metres to go to shock the favourite Ingebrigtsen.
Ingebrigtsen, who referred to Kerr as “just the next guy” and boasted he could outpace the Briton “blindfolded”, will be put to the test while Kerr has claimed the Norwegian has “major weaknesses”.
The 24-year-old Ingebrigtsen, a 13-times European senior track champion – both indoors and outdoors, completed a golden double at the World Athletics Indoor Championships last month by capturing 1500 metres and 3000m crown.
The Norwegian also holds the world record in the indoor 1500m, indoor mile, 2000m and 3000m.
“I love to race, and the London Diamond League is a perfect fit for my schedule. I’ve recovered well from the indoors and training is going well,” Ingebrigtsen said.
“… My focus is now on the summer and returning to Tokyo – where I won my Olympic title in 2021 – to win global gold. Competing in London is a crucial part of my build, and I know the atmosphere will be incredible.”
Kerr, who won silver at the Paris Games last year, holds a world best time over two miles indoors and a British record in the mile.
“I’ve never shied away from the fact that I’m trying to be the best 1500m runner of our era, and that means winning more titles and running faster times than everyone else,” Kerr said.
“… I want to defend my world title in Tokyo and everything I do between now and then, including lining up at the London Athletics Meet, is focused on achieving that goal.”
The London Athletics Meet forms the 11th part of the 2025 Wanda Diamond League, which consists of 15 global track and field events across four continents.
The league will kick off in Xiamen on April 26 and conclude with a two-day final in Zurich (August 27-28).
