Mo Farah to go for fourth Great North Run win in a row

Sir Mo Farah has announced his intention to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Great North Run.

Britain's greatest ever athlete will take to the start line in just under two weeks’ time to defend his title at the world-famous half marathon between Newcastle and South Shields on Sunday, 10 September.

Farah, 34, retired from the track this month, winning gold and silver at the World Athletics Championships in London.

The medal haul is added to his four Olympic golds and five World Championship golds, bringing an end to a track career spanning more than a decade.

He will now concentrate his efforts on the road, with the world’s biggest half marathon firmly in his sights.

Farah has competed in every Simplyhealth Great North Run since 2013, finishing second in his first outing and winning in 2014, 2015 and 2016, where he held off the challenge of American Dathan Ritzenhein to become the first male runner to win three consecutive Great North Runs.

A fourth win for Farah would equal Benson Masya’s record, with the Kenyan winning over the 13.1mile distance in 1991, 1992, 1994 and 1996.

Farah said:

Brendan Foster, founder of the Simplyhealth Great North Run and chairman of The Great Run Company, said:

Farah will be competing against last year’s runner-up Ritzenhein and five-time Olympian Bernard Lagat, with more names still to be confirmed.