Sir Mo Farah bids emotional farewell to London Marathon: ‘I wanted to cry’
Farah said September’s Great North Run will be his final race
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An emotional Sir Mo Farah finished ninth on his final appearance at the London Marathon and confirmed September’s Great North Run will be his final race.
The Olympic great came home in two hours, ten minutes and 28 seconds and was beaten to the line by fellow Briton Philip Sesemann on the final straight.
Yorkshire’s Emile Cairess was two places higher in sixth on his marathon debut, but Farah was roared around the streets of London as he bid farewell to the race.
The 40-year-old said he will now look to “give back” to the sport once he waves his final goodbye in Newcastle later this year.
"London has been so great to me over the years and I wanted to be here to say thank you to the crowd and the support that was just amazing,” Farah told the BBC.
"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.
"I gave it my all but my body just wasn’t responding and that’s when you know when 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. It’s what has kept me going for so long throughout my career. I will miss that feeling, I am emotional today."
Farah reflected on his journey from his first appearance at the London Marathon to four Olympic gold medals in a legendary career.
"I started here at the mini marathon and to finish here is just incredible,” Farah said. "If somebody had said to that kid running the mini marathon that I’ll be Olympic champion, he would never have believed it. The sport needs this, we need to give back to the young athletes and teach them what is possible with hard work.
"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 give back to this sport."
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