British athlete Josh Kerr and Kenyan runner Sabastian Sawe are among the standout nominees for the prestigious moment of the year honor at the upcoming World Athletics Awards. The global governing body announced the shortlist following a historic season of track and road racing highlights.
Kerr earned his nomination after shattering a long-standing world record in the mile during July's London Diamond League meeting. The twenty-nine-year-old clocked an astonishing time of three minutes 42.66 seconds inside a packed London Stadium, eclipsing the previous benchmark set by Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj nearly three decades prior by nearly half a second.
Sawe secured his place on the ballot through a landmark achievement in endurance running at the London Marathon in April. The thirty-one-year-old crossed the finish line in one hour 59 minutes 30 seconds, becoming the first competitor in history to complete a competitive marathon in under two hours.
That race produced an unprecedented depth of elite performances, with Ethiopia's Yomif Kejelcha also dipping under the two-hour threshold as the runner-up. Additionally, the third-place finisher, Jacob Kiplimo, managed to beat the historical world record previously established by the late Kelvin Kiptum in 2023.
A third nominee on the shortlist comes from the world relays, where the men's 4x400m relay squad from Botswana triumphed in front of an enthusiastic home crowd. Their collective victory completed a memorable trio of candidates for the global governing body's annual celebration.
The winners across all categories will be revealed during a ceremony in Monaco scheduled for November 29. Alongside the moment of the year prize, the event will recognize achievements in categories such as men's and women's athlete of the year, coaching, and rising star accolades.
Reporting based on coverage first published by BBC Sport. Read the original report at BBC Sport.
