Mo Farah: Four-time Olympic champion to compete in London Marathon in 2019

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Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah says he would like to be in Tokyo for the 2020 Olympics

Britain's Mo Farah will run in next year's London Marathon on 28 April, organisers have announced.

The four-time Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion was third in this year's race, his first over the 26.2-mile distance since quitting the track.

Farah, 35, finished in two hours, six minutes and 21 seconds to break Steve Jones' 33-year-old British record.

Farah won October's Chicago Marathon in a new European record and wants to race at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

"Racing in London is very special to me and the London Marathon gives me the chance to run in front of my fans, on my home roads, where the atmosphere is like nothing else," he said.

"I feel I have made great strides in the past year, finishing third in London in April, and winning my first major marathon in Chicago in October. That and breaking both the British and European records has given me the confidence that I can compete against the best marathon runners in the world."

The Somali-born Londoner won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award in 2017 four months after winning his sixth world title on the track - the 10,000m in London - and then announcing his retirement to focus on marathon running.

Farah won 10 Olympic and World gold medals and two silvers during six years of track domination at major championships and also claimed a record fifth successive Great North Run in September.

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62 comments

  • 61. 1 instance of team orders and 1 instance of severely bad luck in Azerbaijan are the only 2 times bottas was even close. Mercedes dominated maybe 5 weekends all season but I can see there's no convincing you. As someone who runs marathons I agree that running that time is an incredible achievement. I also don't feel the need to diminish someone else's achievement for no reason at the same time

  • 60.Yay - The Merc has been dominant this year, and when VB outperformed LH it was decided he should pull over and let a slower LH win (e.g.- Russia). 4th place over the season means Bottas' car was only beaten by Ferrari (despite team orders).

    Call it "ignorance" if you want, but facts are facts.

    Running a 2:05 marathon is incredible compared to driving the fastest car over the line first.

  • 58/9. Just shows how little you know If you think bottas is keeping pace when he is in 4th and 146 points behind. Hamilton isn't my favourite driver on the grid but I'm not going to diminish his achievements out of ignorance as you are so quick to do. Only 1 is fawning here and it's you over an athlete who's missed multiple drugs tests he knew about and worked closely with a disgraced coach

  • 52 yay. BTW, this is about Mo Farah - pushing the limits of what can be achieved by a real athlete, racing under his own power.

    Lewis Hamilton is irrelevant and an embarrassment by comparison.

  • 52 yay. Zero F1 knowledge, you say - it's a car race, the driver presses the buttons and the engine and electronics do the work? If Ferrari are faster, how come they don't win? If it's not the car then how can a Merc 1-2 happen? How can Bottas keep up with LH?

    It must be terrible when someone doesn't fawn over Lewis Hamilton and you can't just imply that it must be because they're racist.

  • So many negative comments from so many people who don’t have the calibre to compete at Mo’s level or to find Somalia on a map let alone to have the intelligence to work out why the rules they democratically voted for allow him to have a British passport. I guess the fact his father was born in London and grew up in Hounslow helped.
    Go Sir Mo! Good to see a Btish runner competing at your level.

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  • top 3 possible for Mo.

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  • Obviously only running because he needs the money - tough life living on that lottery funding he gets. Oh, and the million pound sponsorship contracts of course.. But he's SIR Mo so better not say anymore - he's beyond criticism. Oh, and by the way, he lives on Portland Oregon.

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