'MetMo' station created to celebrate legendary Mo Farah for Great North Run weekend

Running legend Mo Farah is being honoured with a special 'MetMo' station makeover in his honour.

One of the iconic Metro station cubes which mark out stations on the network has been rebranded for the Great North Run weekend as tens of thousands of runners prepare to take on the half marathon on Sunday, September 10.

The new look ‘MetMo’ cube at Heworth Interchange in Gateshead, next to the Felling bypass, will be seen by thousands of runners and spectators on the big day.

The familiar yellow-and-black Metro cube has swapped its traditional Metro logo for a silhouette motif of Mo Farah’s gold medal winning Mobot dance move - in which he arches his arms and points to the top of his head to make an ‘M’ shape.

Nexus, the public body which owns and manages Metro, has unveiled the ‘MetMo’ cube as part its own tribute to Mo, Britain’s most decorated long-distance runner – a winner of four Olympic gold medals and six Great North Runs – as he prepares to bring the curtain down on his glittering career.

It is the first time that a Metro cube has been changed to celebrate someone’s individual achievement.

And it has delighted customers and Metro workers alike, who all took the time to pose for photos with MetMo cube - and even have a go at doing the Mobot themselves.

Sir Mo has also recorded a series of announcements on the Metro public address system as part of the countdown to the Great North Run.

Head of Station Delivery at Nexus, Lynne Dickinson, said: “The Metro cubes are a unique and an iconic part of life in our region, making them then perfect place to showcase a tribute to Sir Mo Farah ahead of his final race in the Great North Run.

“This is the first time that we have ever changed the logo on a Metro cube, but we really wanted to do something to celebrate Mo’s amazing career, someone who is now just as synonymous with the proud history of the Great North Run.

“The Metro cube at Heworth will have the Mobot logo on for the next week or so. We are looking forward to seeing as many people as possible coming down to get their photos taken, and of course having a go at doing the Mobot.”

The renowned graphic designer Margaret Calvert, a designer who did much to shape the visual identity of modern Britain, created the eponymous, solid font which has become an iconic and instantly-recognisable symbol of Metro, which is displayed prominently on cubes at Metro’s 60 stations