Mo Farah says Great North Run will be his final race
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Mo Farah finished ninth in his final marathon in London on April 23, clocking 2:10:28 – nine minutes behind winner Kelvin Kiptum.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
Follow topic:
LONDON – Britain’s four-gold former Olympic champion Mo Farah will end his athletics career at the Great North Run in September.
He finished ninth in his final marathon in London
He will compete at the 10km Great Manchester Run on May 21 before the Great North Run half-marathon on Sept 10. He has won the Great North Run from Newcastle to South Shields six times.
“Training went well, and I was confident and I thought I could do between 2:05 and 2:07 but you never know with the marathon,” Farah, 40, said after the London Marathon.
“I gave it my all but my body just wasn’t responding and that’s when you know it’s time to call it a day.
“Part of me was wanting to cry. The people were amazing, even in the rain to line the streets and that’s what this is all about. If it wasn’t for the crowd, at some point I would have dropped out... It’s what has kept me going for so long throughout my career. I will miss that feeling, I am emotional today.
“London has been so great to me over the years and I wanted to be here to say thank you to the crowd. I want to pass that on. The Great North Run is going to be my last ever run and that will be my goodbye.
“My career has been amazing, my wife and kids have been with me throughout this journey and I want to give time to them now, as well as getting involved in grassroots sport and giving back to this sport.”
His impact on athletics has been clear. Before the race, the 2022 London Marathon champion Amos Kipruto, 30, of Kenya said: “Mo Farah is a real inspiration for the younger generation like us and I hope to run more years like Mo Farah is racing.”
Compatriot Kiptum added before the race: “One time I used to say I will compete with Mo Farah, so I am very excited to race with him.” REUTERS, AFP
