The one-mile race at the London Diamond League on July 18 was British middle-distance runner Josh Kerr’s challenge to the one-mile world record that had lain dormant for 27 years.
Kerr ultimately finished in 3:42.66, breaking the world record previously held by Hicham El Guerrouj, and bringing the “Project 222” plan to a successful close.
Behind the scenes, what gear did Brooks and Kerr prepare to help him achieve this challenge? Next, we’ll reveal it head-to-toe.
Fans familiar with Kerr’s races know he always likes to wear a pair of mirrored Oakley sunglasses in competition. His blond hair and colorful mirrored lenses have become an icon on middle-distance tracks.
For this race he wore an Oakley RSLV Lite fitted with swapped mirrored lenses.
Inspired by that iconography, Brooks drew color cues from it to design a deep-blue, aerodynamic, body-hugging The Speed Suit racing skinsuit tailored to his physique.
The brand logos on it were also inspired by the polarised lenses, rendered in iridescent and lake-blue hues to echo Kerr’s eyewear and the white-and-blue spikes on his feet.
The upper body featured a dense array of laser-cut perforations to maximize heat dissipation and ventilation. A dual-fabric composite construction from the flanks to the back improved breathability while visually incorporating “gold” elements—symbolising that Kerr’s focus wasn’t only on breaking the record but also on chasing victory.
The kit Kerr wore on his right forearm and wrist came from amazfit 华米科技. The Cheetah 2 Pro from amazfit served as the data witness for his challenge, specially adorned with diamonds on the bezel for this attempt, and the strap’s many polygonal perforations were aimed at shaving weight.
Interestingly, the amazfit heart-rate armband on Kerr’s right arm bore an orange “222”, marking that the kit was built specifically for this challenge.
The pairing inevitably calls to mind COROS—the heart-rate armband + watch “dual-track” strategy seems to be gaining wider acceptance among brands and athletes.
For this high-profile attempt, Brooks developed another bespoke piece of kit for Kerr.
Hyperion 222 spikes.
Beyond sharing the “222” name with the challenge, even the grip dots on the sole—intended to increase traction—were thoughtfully designed to number 222.
Based on Kerr’s running habits, Brooks made some bold innovations. The pronounced rocker curvature visible at both forefoot and heel is uncommon in spikes; an ATPU-based midsole appears to be a first within Brooks’ racing shoe lineup; and the addition of a carbon plate and titanium spikes ensured stiffness and lightness across the shoe.
If Kerr’s “Project 222” gear were released to the market, would you buy it for its role in breaking a world record or for its cutting-edge product technology?
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