Mo Farah after finishing second at the 2013 Bupa Great North Run (© danvernonphotography.com for Nova International (organisers))
Great Britain’s double Olympic and world champion Mo Farah will return to Tyneside on 7 September and will be determined to move up a place on the podium at the Bupa Great North Run, an IAAF Gold Label Road Race, organisers announced on Thursday (7).
The 31-year-old, who is scheduled to compete in both the 5000m and 10,000m at the European Championships in Zurich next week, was second in 2013 to Ethiopia’s Kenenisa Bekele, with Haile Gebrselassie finishing third, in what has sometimes been described as one of the greatest road races in history.
“I’m looking forward to returning to the North East to run my second Bupa Great North Run,” said Farah.
“I have been part of the weekend several times in the past, taking part in the mile and two miles races at the Great North CityGames on the Quayside. Last year was a great race with Kenenisa and Haile over the half marathon. I would like to come back and win this year,” he added.
The race is set to be Farah's first on the road since he finished eighth in the London Marathon back in April.
This year’s Bupa Great North Run will become the first road race in the world to celebrate its 1,000,000th finisher.
“I’m thrilled that on such a momentous milestone for the Bupa Great North Run, Britain’s greatest ever male distance runner will be joining us. One thing’s for sure; Mo will be desperate to be first over the finish line in South Shields,” said Brendan Foster, the former 10,000m world record holder and chairman of the event organisers.
Stephen Kiprotich, the reigning Olympic and world marathon champion, will be just one of the record field of 57,000 runners in the field.
Further announcements about the rest of the elite field are expected to be made in the coming weeks.
Organisers for the IAAF
