Newcastle – British track great Mo Farah became the first home runner to win the men’s Great North Run race since Steve Kenyon in 1985 as he won a thrilling duel with Kenyan and former training partner Mike Kigen in Newcastle on Sunday.
The 31-year-old 5 000m and 10 000m Olympic champion – second last year to Ethiopian legend Kenenisa Bekele in the race – had been content to play second fiddle to Kigen throughout most of the race as they set a pace which proved too much for Ethiopia’s Olympic and world marathon champion Steven Kiprotich and his compatriot Tariku Bekele.
However, Farah, who missed the Commonwealth Games earlier this year because of a poisoned tooth but bounced back to win dual gold at the European Championships, went to the front as they entered the last 1km and although Kigen tried to come back at him he had enough left in the tank to hold on.
Kiprotich ran on in the latter stages to take third while Bekele finished fourth.
In the women’s race Kenya’s Mary Keitany showed no signs of rustiness after taking time off to have a baby as she stormed home clear to win.
The 32-year-old 2012 London Marathon champion – who was only fourth in the Olympic version later that year in London – equalled the course record of 1hr 05min 40sec held by another British great Paula Radcliffe.
Fast-improving British runner Gemma Steele produced an eyecatching performance in taking second in a new personal best taking several notable scalps in the process in the shape of Olympic champion Tiggy Gelani, who was third, and this year’s London Marathon champion Edna Kiplagat. – Sapa-AFP