Josh Kerr answered the critics before the clash with Jakob Ingebrigtsen

British track and field athlete Josh Kerr has said he is “very happy” to see Jakob Ingebrigtsen back in action but is adamant he “won’t lose” when the pair renew their bitter rivalry at the World Ultimate Championships this weekend.

Their long-running war of words has been reignited after Jakob Ingebrigtsen criticized Kerr’s decision to skip the European Championships in Birmingham last month, where the Norwegian marked his return from a long injury recovery with a gold medal in the 5,000m.

The men’s 1500m at the inaugural Ultimate Championships in Budapest this weekend will be even more tense after Jakob Ingebrigtsen, 25, called his rivals “a bunch of cowards” at the Diamond League final last week.

Speaking to the media ahead of the championships, Kerr declined to comment directly on Ingebrigtsen’s recent comments about him, but acknowledged that their presence would bring “a lot more energy” to the event.

“Overall, I’m very happy to have him back”, said Josh Kerr. “I think it’s great for our sport. He’s one of the best 1,500m and 5,000m runners of all time. I’m not going to lose, but I’m excited to go out and compete. A championship 1,500m or 5,000m is a lot different than what he’s used to right now, coming back from a long-term injury. So I expect some challenges for him”, added he.

Although the interest in their fascinating rivalry has transcended the boundaries of sport, Josh Kerr and Jakob Ingebrigtsen have not faced each other in two years. When they last met at the Diamond League in Zurich in September 2024, Ingebrigtsen came in second and Kerr fifth. This came a month after the Briton was edged out for Olympic gold by American Cole Hawker, leaving Ingebrigtsen without a medal.

It was around the major championships that one of the most fascinating storylines in sports in recent times, both on and off the track, developed.

Their frequent exchanges of lines increased the tension between their exciting clashes. Ingebrigtsen won Olympic gold five years ago. Kerr took the world title in 2023. Hawker took advantage of their battle to defeat them in Paris.

Following his successful comeback from an 11-month absence due to an Achilles problem, Ingebrigtsen said he was “very” disappointed by Kerr’s absence from the Europeans and said that athletes who miss major events are “ruining” the sport.

Kerr had long said that the championships were not part of his plans for 2026, instead focusing on improving his 27-year-old world record in the mile in London and winning gold at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this summer, having regained the world indoor 3000m title in March.

Kerr’s preferred approach to each season is to schedule three or four big dates in an attempt to avoid injuries and inconsistent results.

“The next three years are going to be some of the biggest of my career. I’m not going to be greedy,” said Kerr, whose world title defense was cut short by a torn calf 12 months ago.

“The first question I was asked after I broke the world record in the mile was, ‘When are you going to attack the 1500m?’ and it’s just not that easy. At the end of the day, I’m a human being. I’m not a robot. I think if you want to have a 10-12-year career, you can’t just be racing non-stop.”

The Ultimate World Championships will be held in Budapest, where Kerr beat Ingebrigtsen for world 1500m gold three years ago. Due to the limited number of events, neither Kerr nor Ingebrigtsen qualified for the event, but they received special invitations from the sport’s governing body.

Of accepting the invitation, Kerr said: “I think having the best athletes – maybe not the best in form, like me and Ingebrigtsen, who are invited – who have proven themselves in major championships can make the race the most exciting.”

“I know the rest of the 1500m group wants to challenge both of us. I think it’s going to be a fantastic race. I think we bring a lot more energy to the race by being here”, added Josh Kerr.

Their competitors’ desire to prove themselves has certainly been heightened after Ingebrigtsen called them “cowards” and “losers” last week.

The Norwegian, who finished fourth in the Diamond League final after trying to lead the 1500m, was furious with his rivals – especially Hawker – for not pushing the pace.

“I think in a few months I will be outrunning them by a lap”, Ingebrigtsen told FloTrak.

He later offered a sort of apology, admitting that there had been “maybe a little too much adrenaline and emotion” when he made the comments, but added: “I will always call it what I see”.