Record-breaking Sir Mo Farah makes it FIVE Great North Run wins

Sir Mo Farah became the first man to win the Great North Run five times with a blistering victory on the seafront at South Shields.
Sir Mo Farah wins the Men's Elite Race during the 2018 Simply Health Great North Run. Pic: Richard Sellers/PA Wire.Sir Mo Farah wins the Men's Elite Race during the 2018 Simply Health Great North Run. Pic: Richard Sellers/PA Wire.
Sir Mo Farah wins the Men's Elite Race during the 2018 Simply Health Great North Run. Pic: Richard Sellers/PA Wire.

Farah just missed out on his personal best by four seconds as he finished in 59 minutes and 26 seconds, half a minute ahead of New Zealand's Jake Robertson in second place.

Favourite Vivian Cheruiyot finished strongly to win her second women's title in one hour, seven minutes and 43 seconds, while David Weir won the men's wheelchair race for the seventh time.

Record-breaking five-times Great North Run winner Sir Mo Farah, centre, with second-placed Jake Robertson, left, and Bashir Abdi, who finished third.Record-breaking five-times Great North Run winner Sir Mo Farah, centre, with second-placed Jake Robertson, left, and Bashir Abdi, who finished third.
Record-breaking five-times Great North Run winner Sir Mo Farah, centre, with second-placed Jake Robertson, left, and Bashir Abdi, who finished third.
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Victory this weekend makes Farah the first man to win the world famous half marathon five times, and is the ideal preparation for his appearance next month at the Chicago Marathon.

Farah said: "I'm still learning and understanding more and I'm not afraid to mix it in. In 2014, I was afraid to mix it because it was their territory and I was a track runner. But now I'm not afraid of anything.

"It's a totally different challenge and I'm enjoying every day of it. My goal is to win a major marathon. For a track runner the highlight is the Olympics, and in the marathon the biggest thing you can do is win a major race."

This year's Great North Run presents a different dimension for Farah, who admitted his previous victories in the race signalled the end of the season and a rare opportunity to binge-eat sticky toffee pudding.

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Farah, who has run the London Marathon twice, coming third in April, is closing in on his latest career goal and has not under-estimated the importance of making history in the process on Tyneside.

He said before the race: "My aim (in Newcastle) is to run a decent time - I've still got another week from this point so it will be a good test for me on Sunday to see where I am and what I can do," said Farah.

"I've never gone into this race having had this amount of training. I've always gone into it thinking - 'Great North Run, finish, sticky toffee pudding'.

"But after this it's straight back to my training camp in Flagstaff to prepare for Chicago. Hopefully I will get the job done and there will be a lot of stuff to take back. Doing that as the first five-time winner would be amazing."