Josh Kerr powers to World Athletics Ultimate Championship 1500m success in Budapest

Scotland’s Josh Kerr continued his excellent summer by taking gold at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship.

After breaking the Mile world record in London in July, then clinching gold over the same distance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in August, Kerr strode clear of the field to win the 1500m in Budapest on Sunday evening.

Racing for Great Britain, Kerr - who required a special invitation to compete - posted a time of 3.29.35 to back up his pre-race claims that he would be hard to beat at the National Athletics Centre in the Hungarian capital.

Josh Kerr was at his best once again in Hungary. | Getty Images

Australia’s Cam Myers was the only challenger to Kerr coming off the home turn and he took silver, while Hobbs Kessler of the USA finished third and landed the bronze medal.

Kerr’s fellow Scot Jake Wightman also raced, but never threatened the medal places and finished ninth.

Kerr had been set to race against his long-term rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen for the US $150,000 prize after both men were given special exemptions to compete in the 1500m showdown. However, following his victory in the 5000m on Friday, the Norwegian double Olympic champion announced on Saturday that he would be pulling out of the 1500m after deciding another race was one too many.

Before the race, Kerr had warned all his fellow competitors that he cannot envisage a scenario where he does not come out on top.

“I wouldn't like to race me right now, I'd say that,” he told BBC Breakfast. “It's going to be a tough one on Sunday for the rest of the field, that is what I would put it down as.

“(The world record) was just a fitness test for the Ultimate Championships!” Kerr joked.

“I'm as fit as I was then, if not in a better spot. I'm excited and it's the last race of the season, I don't feel like I'm dragging myself there, I'm feeling very energised and ready to go.

“There are a lot of guys out there and my job is to beat every single one of them. It's not going to be easy, it's going to be a hard race but I feel very confident in where I'm at and what the result is going to be on Sunday.”