Josh Kerr, Kylian Mbappé and Kristian Blummenfelt: Five incredible sporting records broken in 2026 so far

The Briton became the fastest miler in history by breaking Hicham El Guerrouj's 27-year-old record, joining a growing list of athletes who have rewritten the history books this year.

In honour of Kerr's remarkable achievement, we've taken a look at five of the most incredible sporting records broken in 2026 – from Kylian Mbappé's World Cup heroics and Kimi Antonelli's Formula 1 breakthrough to Kristian Blummenfelt continuing to redefine the limits of human endurance.

Josh Kerr ends a 27-year wait with a new mile world record

Few world records have stood the test of time quite like Hicham El Guerrouj's mile mark.

The Moroccan's time of 3:43.13, set in Rome in 1999, had survived multiple generations of Olympic champions and world champions. Many believed it would never be broken.

That changed in spectacular fashion when Britain's Josh Kerr stormed to a time of 3:42.66, becoming the fastest miler in history. The achievement not only ended one of athletics' longest-standing records but also cemented Kerr's place among the greatest middle-distance runners the sport has ever seen.

Kylian Mbappé becomes the FIFA World Cup's all-time leading men's goalscorer

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Every footballer dreams of shining on the World Cup stage, but few have dominated the tournament like Kylian Mbappé.

Already a World Cup winner before turning 20, the French superstar added another chapter to his remarkable international career by becoming the competition's all-time leading men's goalscorer during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

In doing so, Mbappé overtook Lionel Messi at the top of the all-time scoring charts, after going toe-to-toe with the Argentine great throughout the past two editions.

Kristian Blummenfelt sets new VO₂ max benchmark

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Not every sporting record is won on the field of play.

Some are achieved inside a laboratory, revealing just how extraordinary elite athletes truly are.

In January of this year, the Norweigian triathlete posted a staggering score of 101.1 ml/kg/min. Measured during a cycling test in Bergen, Norway, this is the first time an athlete's reading has officially surpassed the 100-mark, breaking the previous benchmark of 97.5 set by cyclist Oskar Svendsen. 

VO₂ max measures the maximum amount of oxygen an athlete can utilise during intense exercise and is widely regarded as one of the best indicators of aerobic fitness. Blummenfelt has paired that physiological advantage with Olympic, world and IRONMAN success, becoming one of the sport's greatest all-round competitors.

Fans can watch Blummenfelt and the world's best endurance athletes throughout the IRONMAN Pro Series, live and for free on DAZN in selected territories.

Sabastian Sawe becomes the first man to run an official sub-two-hour marathon

For decades, the two-hour marathon was considered athletics' final frontier.

While Eliud Kipchoge famously dipped under the barrier during the INEOS 1:59 Challenge in 2019, the run was not eligible as an official world record because of its specially controlled conditions.

Sabastian Sawe changed that in 2026.

The Kenyan produced one of the greatest distance-running performances in history by clocking 1:59:30 at the London Marathon, becoming the first athlete to complete an officially recognised marathon in under two hours. In doing so, he also took more than a minute off the previous world record, redefining what was thought possible over 26.2 miles.

Kimi Antonelli becomes Formula 1's youngest championship leader

Formula 1 has never been short of teenage sensations, but Kimi Antonelli achieved something no driver before him had managed.

During the 2026 season, the Mercedes star became the youngest driver ever to lead the Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship, surpassing a record previously held by Sebastian Vettel.

The milestone was another landmark in an astonishing breakthrough campaign that established Antonelli as one of the sport's brightest young talents. Still only 19 years old, the Italian has already positioned himself as one of Formula 1's leading stars for the next decade.

And there could yet be even more history to come. If Antonelli goes on to win this year's Drivers' Championship, he would become the youngest Formula 1 world champion in history, eclipsing Vettel's long-standing record and completing one of the greatest breakthrough seasons the sport has ever seen.