Deflated Farah blown away but Callum content
MO FARAH was hoping for wind and rain in Cardiff and got it in abundance but a searing early pace meant he had to settle for bronze at the World Half Marathon Championships.
Kenyan winner Geoffrey Kamworor warned he was relishing the chance to take down Farah at the Rio Olympics but the Briton insisted he was on course to defend his distance titles.
Farah is peerless on the track as the only man to win six consecutive Olympic and World Championships 5,000m and 10,000m titles.
But on the road over the longer distance, a strong Kenyan and Ethiopian contingent worked against Farah, who finished in 59:59, falling just short of his personal best set at the Great North Run last September.
‘I am disappointed because I want to win at home,’ said Farah, ‘but things will be totally different in Rio, this gives me massive motivation.
‘This was what you want to see, a challenge for me but I want to defend my titles.’
In a dramatic start Komworor, one of the pre-race favourites, slipped on the sodden ground with his first stride. He hit the deck and was trampled by following runners but incredibly managed to weave his way back to the leading group.
By 15km, Farah was sixth and 22 seconds behind leaders Kamworor and his compatriot Bedan Karoki.
‘I definitely found it a bit hard,’ said Farah, ‘The guys went for it from the beginning and put their foot down. I thought: “There’s no way they can keep this pace going — am I unfit or are they just too fast?”.’
In fairer conditions Farah might have been quicker but bided his time and as a few of the East African runners ahead of him tired, picked them off, delighting the crowd by beating Ethiopian Abayneh Ayele in a sprint finish in front of Cardiff’s City Hall.
Kamworor, who won in 59:10, said: ‘I can’t wait to race against Farah in Rio.’
Meanwhile, Callum Hawkins believes he is still on course to secure an Olympic spot after he finished 15th.
The Scot ran 62:51 and, with just four weeks until the Rio 2016 marathon trials in London, senses his best lies ahead.
‘I was feeling great and really catching people into the last quarter but then the wind and the rain came,’ he said.
‘I think I was on for a good time but that messed it up, although I’m happy because I took some big scalps.’