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Mo Farah denies collusion with training partner to win Great North Run Mo Farah denies collusion with training partner to win Great North Run
(about 9 hours later)
Mo Farah has dismissed suggestions that one of his training partners allowed him to become the first Briton to win the Great North Run since 1985. Mo Farah has dismissed suggestions that one of his training partners allowed him to become the first British man to win the Great North Run since 1985.
Farah, who held off the Kenyan Mike Kigen in a sprint finish to win in exactly one hour, was seen chatting to Kigen – with whom he shares a management group – a mile from the finish. Earlier it also appeared that Kigen was striding clear only to look over his shoulder for Farah, prompting some to question how much they were colluding. Farah, who held off the Kenyan Mike Kigen in a sprint finish to win in exactly one hour, was seen chatting to Kigen – with whom he shares a management group – a mile from the finish.
But, as Farah explained, the pair were working together – but only to run a fast time. “Mike and I train together in Kenya and Teddington,” said Farah. “We had a chat before the race and I said: ‘Mike, we should try and go off, leave everybody else and work together to see what we can do.’” Earlier it also appeared that Kigen was striding clear only to look over his shoulder for Farah, prompting some to question how much they were colluding.
However, as Farah explained, the pair were working together, but only to run a fast time. “Mike and I train together in Kenya and Teddington,” said Farah.
“We had a chat before the race and I said: ‘Mike, we should try and go off, leave everybody else and work together to see what we can do.’”
“He pushed the pace on and kept pushing. There were a couple of times I was struggling but I managed to get back to him. I knew if it came down to the finish I could use my sprint but he actually did test me.”“He pushed the pace on and kept pushing. There were a couple of times I was struggling but I managed to get back to him. I knew if it came down to the finish I could use my sprint but he actually did test me.”
As for their conversation near the finish of the 13.1 mile race, Farah explained that Kigen, who was wearing a watch while he wasn’t, was trying to urge him to go faster so they could break the hour barrier. As for their conversation near the finish of the 13.1-mile race, Farah explained that Kigen, who was wearing a watch while he wasn’t, was trying to urge him to go faster so they could break the hour barrier.
“He was saying: ‘Let’s go, let’s go,’” said Farah. “But I wanted to have something left in the end. I knew we had run a decent time but I didn’t know we were so close to going under 60 minutes. The aim was to win the race rather than run a fast time.” “He was saying: ‘Let’s go, let’s go,’” said Farah. “But I wanted to have something left in the end.
Farah was also asked whether Kigen deliberately slowed down to allow him to catch up. “No,” he said. But he did concede that his reputation as a double Olympic and world champion had helped in during the race. “I knew we had run a decent time but I didn’t know we were so close to going under 60 minutes. The aim was to win the race rather than run a fast time.”
Farah was also asked whether Kigen deliberately slowed down to allow him to catch up. “No,” he said.
But he did concede that his reputation as a double Olympic and world champion had helped during the race.
“If it wasn’t for how high he thinks of me, he could have really had a go at one point,” admitted Farah.“If it wasn’t for how high he thinks of me, he could have really had a go at one point,” admitted Farah.
Kigen, who finished in the same time as Farah, also insisted he had not deliberately eased down. “I was slowing because I was feeling tired but the last 400m was tough for me,” he said. “That’s why Mo won the race.” Kigen, who finished in the same time as Farah, also insisted he had not deliberately eased down.
The women’s race was won by the Kenyan Mary Keitany, who beat Paula Ratcliffe’s 11-year-old course record by a second to win in 1:05:39. Britain’s Gemma Steel was second in 1:08:13 – a personal best by over two minutes. “I was slowing because I was feeling tired but the last 400m was tough for me,” he said. “That’s why Mo won the race.”
The women’s race was won by the Kenyan Mary Keitany, who beat Paula Radcliffe’s 11-year-old course record by a second to win in 1:05:39.
Britain’s Gemma Steel was second in 1:08:13 – a personal best by over two minutes.