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Mo Farah celebrates after winning the men’s one-hour race. (AP Photo)
BRUSSELS: For Farah bombed a new world record in the rarely performed hour-long event on his return to the track on Friday at an empty Brussels stadium that also saw Sifan Hassan | set a new record in the female equivalent race.
Three years after choosing to run on the road, Farah showed no sign of cobwebs as he ran 21,330 kilometers during the 60 minutes behind closed doors at the Brussels Diamond League match at the King Baudouin Stadium.
Farah, who won 5,000 to 10,000 m doubles for Great Britain at the London and Rio Olympics, edged out Ethiopia Haile GebrselassieThe best previous record of 21,285 km, delayed in 2007, by 45 meters.
“I am very happy to break the world record today,” said Farah. “What a wonderful way to do it and show people what is possible.”
It was a formidable record – the equivalent of 52 1/2 laps averaging 67 seconds per lap, or 2:47 minutes per kilometer.
And at one point, the 37-year-old Briton, also a six-time world gold medalist, seemed to have missed that programmed vital rhythm, with his Belgian training partner Bashir Abdi still in the race.
There might not have been a crowd thanks to the coronavirus-induced health protocols, but the record attempt featured music, audience cheers, and a visual aid to guide time: 400 LED lights installed on drain covers that were they lit up to reflect the desired rhythm.
Farah and Abdi took note of the flashing lights and picked up the pace to return to record time.
With five minutes to go, Abdi took the lead for the first time, sweeping Farah with the tails of his coat.
When the gun went off in the final minute, Farah made his quick stride to fire past the Belgian and maintain his form until a second shot that ended the run.
While Farah holds all British records in all events between 1,500m and the marathon, it was her first world record.
Ethiopian-born Dutch runner Hassan, like Farah, once a member of the now-disbanded Nike-backed group of disgraced coaches Alberto Salazar, broke the women’s world record.
Hassan, the reigning 1,500m and 10,000m world champion, produced a thrilling kick in the last minute to beat Kenyan marathon world record holder Brigid Kosgei (who was later disqualified) to climb 18,930km.
Hassan’s final distance added 413m – more than one lap – to the previous record of 18,517km set by Ethiopian Dire Tune Arissi in 2008.
“I’m very happy,” said Hassan, who last season also set world records in the mile (4: 12.33) and 5 km on the road (14:44).
“An hour is long, it takes a lot of focus and concentration. After the first half I found my rhythm. I never thought I’d run that far!”
There was no such luck for Faith kipyegonHowever, the Kenyan again thwarted her attempt to break the world record for the 1,000 meters for women.
The current 1500m Olympic gold medalist missed out on improving Russia Svetlana MasterkovaThe WR of 2: 28.98 was delayed in 1996 by just 0.17 seconds in Monaco.
This time, Kipyegon paid the price for a slight lapse in tempo mid-race, which finally came in 2: 29.92.
Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who claimed Farah’s 1,500-meter European record when he finished second in Monaco behind Timothy Cheruyiot last month, clinched victory in the event in the Belgian capital, in 3: 30.69.
In his last race as a teenager, the 19-year-old was brought to the line for an easy victory, two seconds off his continental record.
“That was so much fun, I was finally able to win!” joked the Norwegian.
“In the final meters I missed someone who pushed me. It’s impossible to run a really fast time if you’re alone.”
Heptathlon world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson set the season’s best of 13.57 seconds and finished fourth in the 100-meter hurdles won by local Anne Zagre (13.21), before taking a high jump of 1 , 84 meters for sixth place in an event claimed by Australian Nicola McDermott (1.91).
Sweden Armand DuplantisFresh off a world lead and a new outdoor personal best of 6.07m in Lausanne this week, he won the men’s pole vault with a best time of 6.00m, a competition record.
