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At an age when the legs of most athletes have begun to betray them and their glory days have long faded in the rearview mirror, 37-year-old Mo Farah was able to fight his way to the first world record of his career.
On a quiet night in Brussels, Farah produced his signature late kicker to claim Haile Gebrselassie’s one-hour record for 45 meters, running 21.33 km. He made a desperate face as he passed his sparring partner Bashir Abdi near the end, but it turned out to be Farah’s finest moment.
“What an amazing way to do it and show people what is possible,” said Farah, who adds the record to his four Olympic and six world titles in over 5,000m and 10,000m. “We had to work hard. We help each other pass, but it’s good to get the world record. “
While the hour record is rarely attempted, the quality of those who have held the crown is indisputable: they include Paavo Nurmi, Emil Zatopek, Ron Clarke and Gebrselassie. Farah is not the strength she had since she left Alberto Salazar, but she had a lot of the old magic left.
Farah made a firm start, aided by three pacemakers and the latest WaveLight technology at the side of the track: the flashing green lights that showed him the pace he had to run to overcome Gebrselassie’s distance of 21,285 km.
The first 30 minutes were run at a metronomic pace, with Farah serenely annihilating 67 and 68 seconds. Briefly, with about 20 minutes to go, he seemed to be slipping, but with the help of Abdi and the latest shoe technology, Farah made his way to glory.
That it was Gebrselassie’s record made this win even sweeter. Farah still hasn’t forgotten that his watch, four-coin money, and two phones were stolen when he was staying at the Ethiopian’s hotel last year. Gebrselassie responded by accusing Farah of “defaming” his reputation and his business. Most observers felt that the British lost that battle, but he certainly won this war.
He also proved in his first track race since 2017 that he remains a force, although with this evidence few would bet that he regains his 10,000m title in Tokyo next year.
Inevitably, this record will reignite the debate over Farah’s place in the pantheon of British sport. His many cheerleaders maintain that he is the most successful athlete in the country, with four Olympic gold medals, six world titles and a brilliant world record on his CV. However, his detractors will point to his long association with Salazar, who was sentenced for four years for doping offenses, even if Farah has never been charged with wrongdoing as cause for concern.
1500m and 10,000m world champion Sifan Hassan broke the one-hour women’s world record by running 18.93km to break the record set by Ethiopia Dire Tune in 2008 by nearly 500m.
With Farah, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and other British athletes competing in Belgium, the dearth of big names at the British Championships in Manchester was even more surprising. It could also have a lasting impact, given that this is the latest meeting of the BBC’s lucrative contract with UKA, worth more than £ 2 million a year.
With Dina Asher-Smith, Laura Muir and Jemma Reekie also missing, it hardly made a strong case for a makeover. However, there were a couple of impressive performances with Harry Coppell breaking a British record of 5.85m in the pole vault and Imani-Lara Lansiquot winning the women’s 100m in 11.26 ahead of Kristal Awuah and Amy Hunt.
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British Athletics CEO Jo Coates believes Christian Malcolm can have the same dramatic impact on his sport as Pep Guardiola on football despite his relative inexperience.
“I have chosen a young, visionary and innovative coach,” he said. “We want someone to fundamentally make a difference and with our new Chief Performance Officer Sara Symington, who has 11 years of experience, we have that perfect match. He is our Pep “.
