With 10 global titles on the track between 2011 and 2017, Mo Farah is undoubtedly Europe's most successful runner over 5000m and 10,000m and he is now Europe's fastest ever marathon runner.
Many doubted whether Farah's range of talents would extend all the way up to the marathon but the 35-year-old now holds the European 1500m record with 3:28.81 and the European marathon record - an unprecedented range - after winning the Bank of America Chicago Marathon on Sunday in 2:05:11.
'It was a good build-up,' said Farah at the post-race press conference. 'The team put in a great field and even though I was ranked eighth on paper, I was expecting to finish in the top-three - that was the aim.
'The field was strong - there were guys who had run 2:04-2:05 - but I knew from the training that I did that I was confident I should be able to mix it with these guys. Finishing in the top three with a decent time was always the aim.'
2:05:11â€Â¼ Mo Farah (@mo_farah) sets the European Record at the Chicago Marathon! pic.twitter.com/idHsXh7rdK
— FloTrack (@FloTrack) October 7, 2018
Farah shaved a sizeable chunk off Sondre Nordstad Moen's European record of 2:05:48 to claim the first marathon victory of his nascent road running career. He made a solid debut in the London Marathon in 2014 when he clocked 2:08:21 but Farah was still focused on the track then.
He waited four years to attempt the distance again, finishing third in the British capital in 2:06:21. Farah blasted through the halfway point on that day with the leading group in 61:03 which proved a chastening experience to the Brit but also an important learning curve.
'In the London Marathon, I learned a lot. It taught me a lot about myself - I'm running a decent time and mixing it with these guys. It taught me to go out evenly,' he said.
“What I’ve learned [in Chicago] is I’m definitely better off going slower and finishing fast towards the end of the race. That definitely suits me a little better. It just depends how much slower I need to go the first half.”
Farah seldom chased fast times during his track career and despite expressing his preference for marathons of a more tactical nature, Farah is confident he can make further inroads into his European record in the right race.
'I think low 2:04, high 2:03 is possible,' said Farah, who closed with a second half of 62:05 in the Chicago Marathon and still 'had another couple of gears' in the latter stages.
'I know I could have got a lot faster today so we will see. I just want to take some time off and spend some time with the family and see what the next plan is,' he said.