Josh Kerr's age, partner, parents, brother and fierce rivalry with Jakob Ingebrigtsen explained

6 August 2024, 19:20

Who is Josh Kerr's fiancee, where is he from, who are his parents, why does he wear glasses and what happened between him and Jakob Ingebrigtsen?

Josh Kerr is going for gold in the Men's 1500m race at the Paris Olympics, hoping to beat his long-time rival Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

The World Champion is hoping to better his bronze medal he achieved at the Tokyo Games and take the win at the 2024 Olympics. Facing tough competition from Jakob and fellow Team GB runner Neil Gourley, these middle-distance runners will be giving their all in the final.

While his sporting achievements are on full display, many fans have been wanting to know more at Josh's life away from the track.

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How old is Josh Kerr, where is he from, who are his parents and brother, why does he wear glasses, who is his partner and what happened between him and Jakob Ingebrigtsen?

How old is Josh Kerr?

Olympic medallist Josh is 26-years-old and was born on the 8th of October 1997, making him a Libra.

He began his running career at the age of eight when he joined a local sports club and went on to gain a full athletics scholarship at the University of New Mexico.

Despite his young age, Josh showed promise in his sporting abilities when he won gold in the 1500m at the 2015 European Athletics Junior Championship.

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Where is Josh Kerr from?

Josh was born and raised in Edinburgh, however moved to the USA when he was a teenager, where he still resides.

Speaking about his current living situation, Josh told the Daily Record: "I don't live in Scotland anymore, I live over in the US (Seattle) away from my parents and family.

"I live in a different state to my fiancee as well. I've put in the hard yards, I've done it an honest way, and I know that if I come into a championship without missing any days through injury or illness then I'm going to be in a position to medal."

Who is Josh Kerr's partner?

Team GB star Josh is engaged to Larimar Rodriguez. The pair have been dating for a number of years, with Josh popping the question in December 2021.

Larimar is a resident doctor at the University of Miami and appears to have a background in athletics, after previously being an Assistant Track and Field Coach, according to Sportsskeeda.

Josh announced their engagement on Instagram, writing: "I couldn’t wait any longer, I’m so excited for our future❤️💍"

Who are Josh Kerr's parents?

Josh's parents are John and Jill, and the family have quite the sporting background. While his mum Jill is a physiotherapist, his dad John is a former professional rugby player.

After winning gold in the 1500m race at the Athletics World Championships last year, Josh told BBC Sport: "This is a lot for our family and they've put a lot of time, effort and money in to me.I just couldn't be prouder to represent the Kerr family name today.

"I gave it everything for them, myself and my fiancee. This is the life I want to lead for them. They've given me so much and it was nice to pay that back a little bit today."

Who is Josh Kerr's brother?

Olympian Josh has a famous brother who has also made a name for himself in the sporting world after following in their father's footsteps.

Josh's brother Jake Kerr is a Scotland international rugby union player, who currently plays for the Bristol Bears.

Why does Josh Kerr wear glasses?

Many viewers have noticed that Josh wears sunglasses when he runs, however there is an important reason as to why he sports them.

He told BBC Sport: "I think, with the sunglasses, it definitely lets me stand out. When the glasses go on, it’s game time.

"In the World Championships last year, I was wearing the darker sunglasses before heading out, so you couldn’t see my eyes.

"I chucked them on in the call room, I was just looking around, seeing what people were doing and no one knew where I was looking, so people were getting a little bit peeved off at me. They were asking, ‘Are you looking at me?’ I was like, ‘Maybe I am, maybe I’m not’, but it’ll rile some people up.

"I’m going to be myself and people can take that as they want but, for me, I’m not too worried about anyone else’s perceptions of me."

Josh Kerr vs Jakob Ingebrigtsen

Josh has a fierce rivalry with fellow athlete Jakob Ingebrigtsen dating back years. Their initial issues with each other appear to have started when Josh beat Jakob at the World Championships in 2023, shocking the Norwegian.

After this showdown, Jakob was asked if he was looking forward to racing against Josh later that year, to which he replied that the Team GB star was "just the next guy".

Following these comments, Josh hit back at Jakob, stating: "He can be disrespectful to me, that's fine. I still have the World Championship gold medal and I'm going to be the world champion for the next two years regardless of his comments. 

"Obviously, I don't love disrespectful comments and I've worked hard to get into this position and I beat him on the day. But if that's the kind of route he wants to go down, that's fine with me, I'm kind of unbothered by it."

Things between the pair continued to be frosty, with Jakob going on to make a striking statement about his rivals. The champion runner told The Times: "One of the main issues is they are very inconsistent and that means my rivals are always changing. From 2017 I have had ten to 12 different rivals. It's easier for them to have a rival in me but not as easy for me to have a rival in them.

"The biggest issue is giving people like Kerr attention. That's what he is seeking. He is missing something in himself that he is searching for in others. I'm not the sort of guy to approve those sorts of things."

As the two look towards the gold at the 1500m race, who will have the bragging rights? Only time will tell!

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