Great North Run 2018: Mo Farah wins for record fifth time

Mo Farah wins record fifth Great North Run title

Mo Farah won a record fifth Great North Run in a course record of 59 minutes and 26 seconds on Sunday in Newcastle.

It was also Farah’s fifth win in a row in the race, with New Zealand’s Jake Robertson 31 seconds back in second. London Marathon champion Vivian Cheruiyot from Kenya won the women’s race for a second time in three years.

David Weir set a new course record to win the men’s wheelchair race for the seventh time, with Martyna Snopek taking the women’s race.

Farah narrowly missed out on his half marathon personal best, finishing four seconds outside it after fading inside the final 200m, having pulled clear of Robertson with about two miles to go. Robertson, who finished a close second to Farah last year, clocked 59:57, with Belgium’s Bashir Abdi third in 60:43.

“Training’s different now as I’m not in the track season, I’ve been doing a lot more long runs and in terms of endurance I’m definitely fitter,” said four-time Olympic champion Farah.

“Just coming into that headwind it was so tough, I wasn’t going smooth, I was going up and down. I honestly thought I could beat my personal best today, but those last two miles really hurt.”

Olympic and world champion Cheruiyot posted a personal best of 67:43 to win the women’s race ahead of compatriots Brigid Kosgei (67:52) and Joyciline Jepkosgei (68.10).

Weir won the men’s wheelchair race in 41:19, with Snopek clocking 63:02 to win the women’s race. – bbc.com