Finally, this is it – Mo Farah ready to call time on career at Great North Run
The four-time Olympic champion will make the famous Tyneside half marathon his last race this Sunday.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Sir Mo Farah is looking forward to ending his career at the “incredible” Great North Run on Sunday.
The four-time Olympic champion announced earlier this year that his last event will be at the famous North East half marathon, which 60,000 participants will be running.
Farah has won the Great North Run six times previously and is excited to bring the curtain down on the streets of Tyneside for one last time this weekend.
“It’s very exciting to be finishing my last run at the Great North Run. It has been so good to me over the years and this is the final time,” Farah told the PA news agency.
“The race means a lot, to see Brendan (Foster) and the team how they made this event one of the biggest events in the world, to see how far it’s grown.
“On Sunday there’ll be 60,000 people taking part and it’s not just for the elite, it’s for the masses.
“I’ve always made this run in terms of my last race and to come out over the years and win it six times is incredible.”
After revealing in January that he would be ending his career in 2023, Farah’s farewell has seen him post eighth and ninth-placed finishes in the Great Manchester Run 10K and the London Marathon respectively earlier this year.
His last London competition took place at the Big Half last weekend, where he finished fourth, and Farah is determined to enjoy his final outing on Sunday.
“I think most importantly… get the race out of the way and just enjoy it,” he added.
“I’m looking forward to it, when you’re an elite athlete you expect to be at the front, to be competitive with others and my body hasn’t been able to do that for the last couple of years.
“That’s what for me was really important, when you’re not performing at your best anymore and getting on a bit, it’s very important that you end it at some point.
“But when is that right moment? For me, finally, this is it.”
Farah’s glittering career has seen him crowned World Champion six times and earn four Olympic gold medals, which includes the memorable moment he won gold at London 2012.
‘Super Saturday’ saw Farah, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Greg Rutherford all win gold within 44 minutes of each other at the Olympic Stadium, a moment the 40-year-old still cherishes.
Farah added: “I feel one of the highlights of the races I’ve taken part in has to be the race I did against Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie – to have those three guys in one race I thought was really amazing from Brendan and the team.
“But personally for myself if I were to look back one race and go, ‘what was that race you loved or thought was amazing?’ I’d probably say London 2012 to win on that Super Saturday, that gold medal, incredible.
“It’s always on the back of my mind that race… there’s days you’re feeling tired, days you feel like not training, but that’s the moment you look back on and get inspired. It gets you out of bed and you go, ‘OK I want that feeling again’.”