Sir Mo clinches fifth win as Great North Run raises £26m for charity

SIR MO Farah became the first man to win the Great North Run five times as million of pounds was raised for charity at the annual race.

The four-time Olympic champion clinched his fifth consecutive victory in the event on the South Shields seafront yesterday.

Organisers said about 57,000 people registered to take part in the 13.1-mile run, which raised an estimated £26m for various charities.

Crowds lined the route for the world-famous half-marathon, which was first held in 1981 and took place in sunny conditions.

Sir Mo, 35, who is in training for the Chicago Marathon next month, crossed the finish line in 59 minutes and 26 seconds.

He said: “My goal is to win a major marathon.

“For a track runner the highlight is the Olympics, and in the marathon the biggest thing you can do is win a major race.”

Sir Mo was four seconds short of his personal best and half-a-minute ahead of New Zealand’s Jake Robertson in second place. Last year, Robertson marked his secondplaced finish by proposing to his girlfriend Magdalyne Masai, who had finished fourth in the women’s race. Favourite Vivian Cheruiyot, who won this year’s London Marathon, finished strongly to win her second women’s title in one hour, seven minutes and 43 seconds yesterday. David Weir won the men’s wheelchair race for the seventh time. Northern Ireland’s Emma Mitchell was the best British finisher in the women’s race in eighth place.

Among celebrities taking part was the singer Olly Murs, who ran after he and his sister Fay made a pact that they would enter together. Also running were BBC News presenter Sophie Raworth and the Leeds-born model and TV presenter Nell McAndrew.

Due to growing demand, 1,500 extra places were provided in the Junior Mini Great North Run. More than 8,500 youngsters registered to take part in the junior event, the largest children’s run in the UK, on Saturday.