World champers

Josh Kerr celebrates all night with Edinburgh running pal Jake, pizza and bottles of bubbly

- ANNA BURNSIDE

NEWLY-CROWNED world 1500m champion Josh Kerr has told how he celebrated all night - fuelled by champagne and pizza.

The Edinburgh athlete toasted his victory with fellow Scotland runner Jake Wightman, who had won the same title last year.

Josh outran the favourite, Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway, at the World Championships in Budapest.

Fellow finalist, Glaswegian Neil Gourley, joined the party after missing out on a medal.

Josh said: "I was never told I'd be a medallist. I was told I was going to be champion. Why put your life into something if you don't want to be the best?"

His father John, his mum Jill and fiancee Larimar Rodriguez whooped and cheered as they watched the 25-year-old beat Olympic champion Ingebrigtsen to lift the world title.

After the race he had tears in his eyes when Josh said: "This is a lot for our family. They've put a lot of time and effort and money into me, I just couldn't be prouder to represent the current family name today.