George Mills delivered the performance of his career Thursday night at the Bislett Games in Oslo, breaking Mo Farah’s long-standing British 5000m record in a blistering race billed as a world record attempt.
Clocking 12:46.59, the 26-year-old from Yorkshire shaved more than six seconds off Farah’s 12:53.11 national record, which had stood since 2011.
The race was won by American Nico Young in 12:45.27, but Mills’ performance stood out as a landmark achievement, making him the fastest Brit ever at the distance and the second-fastest European in history, behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen.
“The national record was definitely one of the things I came for,” Mills told the BBC post-race. “My target for the season is a global medal and this shows I am in the right space.”
Mills led at the bell and looked strong until the final lap, when Young and others closed hard. Ethiopia’s Biniam Mehary and Kuma Girma rounded out the top three. Despite finishing fourth, Mills’ time was over 12 seconds faster than his previous personal best.
The race lived up to its billing as one of the fastest 5000m events in recent memory. In total, ten men ran under 13 minutes, with Switzerland’s Dominic Lobalu setting a national record in 10th. While the field didn’t challenge Joshua Cheptegei’s 2020 world record of 12:35.36, it produced the second-fastest time of the year and a slew of historic marks.
Mills, who won silver in the 3000m at the European Indoor Championships earlier this season and gold at the British Indoors, has been building momentum toward a breakout season.
He competed at the Paris Olympics last summer, where his 5000m heat ended in frustration following a fall in the home straight.
That disappointment was followed by a tense exchange with French athlete Hugo Hay, which drew media attention at the time. Mills has since channeled that energy into training and results.
“I like to run brave. I like to assert myself on races,” he told The Sun. “Now I want medals at Worlds and Olympic Games. That’s what I’m aiming for now.”
His record-breaking run puts him firmly in contention for a medal at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo this September. No British man has won a global 5000m medal since Farah in 2017.
In a social media post after the race, Mills reflected on the moment: “British 5000m Record. 2nd All Time European. Big moment, building momentum. Couldn’t do it without my team, family and friends, we will keep building, many more goals to accomplish.”
Mills’ emergence comes at a pivotal time for British distance running. With Farah retired and the post-Ingebrigtsen European scene wide open due to injury setbacks, the door is open for a new era. Mills isn’t just knocking, he may have already stepped through it.
