Sir Mo Farah will end glittering career after Great North Run

The decorated Olympian has revealed plans to retire.

Sir Mo Farah will end glittering career after September’s Great North Run — Farah finished ninth in Sunday's London Marathon. PA Media

PA Media

23rd Apr 2023

Sir Mo Farah will bring the curtain down on his glittering career at the Great North Run in September.

Britain’s greatest distance runner completed his final London Marathon on Sunday, finishing ninth in two hours, 10 minutes and 28 seconds.

Farah, who turned 40 last month, will run the Great Manchester 10k in May and then wave goodbye around the streets of Tyneside.

Sir Mo Farah finished ninth in his last London Marathon (Photo by John Walton/PA)

The 2012 and 2016 Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion said: “The Great North Run is going to be my last-ever run and that will be the end of my career. That will be my final race.

“I won’t be competing in any track races. The track is done. I’ll just do a couple more races on the road and wave to the crowd.

“It’s the right decision and hopefully I’ll get to spend time with my family while continuing to be involved with the sport.”

Kelvin Kiptum won the men’s elite race (Photo by John Walton/PA)

Kenyan Kelvin Kiptum won the men’s race in the second fastest marathon in history.

The 23-year-old broke the course record with an incredible time of 2:01.27, missing out on Eliud Kipchoge’s world record by 18 seconds.

The first British man home was not Farah, but Yorkshire’s Emile Cairess, who finished a creditable sixth on his marathon debut.

“I beat Mo Farah today but it’s not the Mo Farah who was at the Olympics,” said Cairess.

Another Briton, Philip Sesemann, outsprinted Farah on the final straight to finish eighth and Chris Thompson made it four British runners in the top 10 by finishing 10th.