Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Josh Kerr have the most intense rivalry the track and field community has ever witnessed. The two locked horns in the 1500m at Stade de France. While many hoped the debate would finally end. But America’s Cole Hocker surprised everyone by seizing a victory with an Olympic record time of 3:27:65. While Kerr trailed in second place with 3:27:79, the Norwegian’s 3:28:24 wasn’t good enough for the podium.

But that didn’t put an end to it. The duo have constantly faced off since 2016, but their rivalry came to fruition at the 2023 World Championship in Budapest. Ingebrigtsen kept a strong lead throughout the qualifying and semifinals. However, in the finals, he couldn’t keep up with his rival. While Kerr snatched the world title from him in 3:29:38, the 24-year-old settled for second place with 3:29:65. However, contrary to popular belief, the Olympian has a strong opinion about how the rivalry truly began.

INGEBRIGTSEN: BORN TO RUN was released on September 20 on Amazon Prime Video. In episode 4, fans get to look into the saga of the infamous rivalry. It takes us back to when Jakob Ingebrigtsen was in Eugene for the Prefontaine Classic Bowerman Mile. The Norwegian clarifies that the rivalry didn’t just appear out of thin air. So how did it come about? “It’s only created by that moron because he began trash-talking me,” he stated. What is he referencing to?

After the upset defeat at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, the Norwegian stated this wasn’t “the best run of the day.” However, Kerr felt otherwise. During a CITIUS MAG Live, he stated that the show Ingebrigtsen put up in the semifinals showcases his insecurity. “I think he panicked a little in the semifinal. He was able to get to the front, and then at that point, he knew he was going to make it, and everything was fine.” This is possibly what started the whole duel. But how did the 24-year-old end his season? 

Jakob Ingebrigtsen had a disappointing end to his 2024 season

The Norwegian was coming off the high of winning the 5000m at the Paris Olympics before shifting his focus to the Diamond League. While he couldn’t win at the Zurich meet, he redeemed himself at the finale in Brussels. Cruising past Olympic Champion Cole Hocker and Zurich winner Yared Nuguse, the 24-year-old clinched the Diamond Trophy with 3:30:37 on the clock. Trailing behind him was Timothy Cheruiyot, who settled for a second-place finish in 3:30:93. 

But Jakob Ingebrigtsen wasn’t done yet. He wanted one last hurrah before he drew the curtains on an exciting season. Merely hours after claiming his third Diamond League title, the long-distance runner announced he was making a big career move. The Olympian would make his half-debut at the Copenhagen Half, albeit for one race.

For someone who usually contests in the 1,500m circuit, 21.1 km was a drastic change. Even though fans were excited to watch him grace the event, it wasn’t meant to be. After the 10 km mark, the Olympian came to an abrupt halt. With a time of 27:27, he had just set a new Norwegian 10km record. But he struggled to finish, with his final time coming up to 63 minutes and 13 seconds.

How did Jakob Ingrebrigtsen feel after the race? “21km is definitely too long. I’m definitely not going to try again for a couple of years. It was fun but tough,” he stated. One of the many reasons was that he hadn’t trained for the event. In fact, at one point, he slowed down and acknowledged the spectators. But while he didn’t win, he sure did find an exciting way to end his season. Even though we didn’t see Kerr and the Norwegian face off much this year, what do you think about their unbridled rivalry?