Mo Farah pushes limits, eyes marathon next
Britain’s Mo Farah won the Great North Run for a record-breaking fourth successive year on Sunday.
Farah, a four-time Olympic champion, saw off a determined challenge from New Zealand’s Jake Robertson in the closing stages of the race to finish in a time of one hour and six seconds.
The 34-year-old is the first athlete to win the Great North Run four times in a row.
He is now level in terms of most victories with Kenya’s Benson Masya, who was champion four times in the 1990s.
Farah, who last month finished his glittering track career with a thrilling 5,000m victory at the Diamond League final in Zurich, produced his trademark ‘Mobot’ celebration in Newcastle as he crossed the line.
Robertson was six seconds back in second place, with Ethiopia’s Feyisa Lilesa coming third.
Farah told the BBC after his season-concluding race: “That was really, really tough. I’m sore everywhere - I’ve never been this sore!
“With four miles to go I was just hanging on, gritting my teeth.
“As we got closer, I managed to believe in myself and dig, and I was thinking ‘if I can just sit on him (Robertson), at the end I can sprint’.
“I’m so pleased with how the season has gone. I’ll go on a little holiday with the missus and then come back fresh.
“I’m looking forward to sticky toffee pudding and apple pie!
Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei broke her own 10 km road world record here on Saturday, becoming the first woman to run the distance under 30 minutes off the track.
The 23-year-old ran 29 minutes 43 seconds at the Birell Prague Grand Prix to eclipse her previous record of 30:04 set in the Czech capital in April.
“I’m so happy, I thank God for making me the winner today and... (breaking) the world record,” Jepkosgei told Czech Television.
The current women’s 10,000m world record is 29:17.45, a record which Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana set at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Track and road racing records are kept separately by the IAAF, the world’s governing body. Jepkosgei has now broken five records this year, having set new marks for the 10km, 15km, 20km and half-marathon at the Sportisimo Prague Half Marathon on April 1.