Sir Mo Farah keen to help find new stars of the future

The 40-year-old warmed up for his grand finale outing in the North East on Sunday with a fourth-place finish at the Big Half around the streets of Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich .

The multi World and Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m gold medalist revealed he was suffering from cold symptoms before Sunday’s race but was determined to give his hometown London fans an emotional farewell over the 13.1-mile course.

Aldershot, Farnham & District AC’s Jack Rowe claimed victory in the men’s race in a personal best 1:01.8, ahead of Mahamed Mahamed of Southampton AC (1:01.16) and Stirling-based Central AC’s Andrew Butchart (1:02.43). All three qualified to make up the British men’s team for next month’s inaugural World Road Running Championships in Riga, Latvia.

Farah, meanwhile, crossed the finishing line at the iconic Cutty Sark in Greenwich in fourth in 1:02.43.

“I wasn’t feeling too well yesterday and I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to run,” said Farah, a three-time winner of the Big Half.

“But I had so much support and as it was my last race here in London, I just felt I needed to do it. If I hadn’t run, that would’ve been it. I got up this morning and was feeling OK but the guys at the front pushed the pace and it was a bit of a struggle. 

“London means so much to me. It’s always been part of my journey, from taking part in the Mini London Marathon as a kid to this race today, so I wanted to come out here and give it my best.

“I am so pleased to see Jack [Rowe], who I met three years ago, win. He has come on so well and is doing brilliantly. He is grabbing that opportunity.”

Farah hopes to end his glittering career on a high at the 13.1-mile AJ Bell Great North Run, which starts in Newcastle and ends in South Shields.

It’s a race Farah has won six times and he believes Rowe, 27, the 2021 men’s 3000m indoor champion, has got the potential to go all the way to become the next big star in British long distance running.

“If you see someone like Jack, that’s what makes people count because I’ve seen that kid from three years ago knowing he’s got a long run,” Farah added.

“That’s some pace he’s going and I know he can keep up with that pace.

“It’s not always going to be given to you, you have to be willing to work hard and graft and he certainly did that.”

As he eyes up a coaching role with Newham & Essex Beagles, Farah is calling on the next generation of middle and long distance runners to work hard for their ambitions with a genuine ‘can be done’ attitude. 

“I love to see youngsters who are making that potential work and making the next transition in terms of representing their clubs and countries,” added Farah.

“For me ideally I would love to be able to just be myself in middle and long distance to give something back and that’s my passion.

“For all of us we love to see someone at the top. Imagine that person and ‘yeah he’s doing alright’ but you have to know how you get there to get that. As I said anything is possible if you work hard and graft.”

You can see Farah’s final athletics appearance on BBC1 from 10am this Sunday.