Mo Farah will be looking for an unprecedented fifth successive title in the Simplyhealth Great North Run, a five star certified road race by European Athletics Running for All, on Sunday (9).
Farah equalled Kenyan Benson Masya’s record by winning his fourth title last year in 60:06 and the 35-year-old will be looking for yet another half marathon victory on the Newcastle to South Shields course.
“I can't wait to come back to Newcastle and race again. It's something I look forward to every year, the crowds are always unbelievable and it's a good course for racing,” said Farah, who is preparing for the Chicago Marathon in October.
Farah holds the European half marathon record with 59:32 from the Lisbon Half Marathon in 2015 although he did clock a faster time of 59:22 in the Great North Run in the same year. However the latter time was not ratified as the Great North Run is a downhill course.
A record 43,127 runners finished last year’s Great North Run. The event first took place in 1981 and became the first race in history to officially record its one millionth finisher back in 2014.
The European Athletics Quality Road Race standards act as an assurance for road runners throughout Europe. They distinguish between races that respect the standards and those that haven’t sought certification or assessment. They form the foundation of Running for All, a strong, recognisable brand for running activities throughout Europe.
More information on Running for All:
Website: european-running4all.org
Twitter: @runningforall
Contact: [email protected]
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