
London DL: Teenage sensation Koech breaks 24-year record in dominant victory
Reading Time: 2min | Sat. 19.07.25. | 18:34
He is now number two all-time, and just 0.01 shy of Ronald Kwemoi’s world U20 best
In his second Diamond League (DL) race ever, Phanuel Koech continued to turn heads, breaking his World U20 1500m record as he clocked 3:28.82 to set a new London DL meeting record.
He broke a 24-year mark of 3:30.20 set by El Guerrouj Hicham in August 2000.
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The 18-year-old had set the race’s global U20 lead when he came home second in a time of 3:27.72, on his DL debut in Paris, before taking a huge win in a continental tour meet in Ostrava, where he clocked 3:29.05.
He headed to London in good form but against a loaded and experienced line up, the attention was not on him but on home runner and world champion Josh Kerr, 3000 and 5000m British record-holder George Mills, and 2022 world champion Jake Whightman.
In a dramatic final lap that saw one of the favourites, Mills take a tumble, Koech timed his final kick to perfection, reeling in Kerr to lead on the home straight and hold on for victory.
"I thank god for this day, I was not expecting to run like that today. The field was very strong, and I enjoyed racing against them all today. I was thinking about all the big guys running fast, so I had to stay focused. Tactics did not go to plan, I just had to go with 200m to go," Koech explained after the race.
Kerr was second in a season best 3:29.37 while Portugal’s Isaac Nader clocked 3:31.55 for third place. Wightman was fourth in 3:31.58, his fastest time since August 2022.
What a performance by Phanuel Koech as be stuns @Diamond_League London leg🔥
— TeamKenya (@OlympicsKe) July 19, 2025
The 18-year-old Kenyan clocks 3:28.82 in the men’s 1500m—a new meet record, U20 No.2 all-time, and just 0.01 shy of Ronald Kwemoi’s world U20 best.
He beats reigning world champion Josh Kerr on home… pic.twitter.com/tjHYjRJRFr














