Great Britains most successful track athlete hangs up spikes after career spanning three decades

Mo Farah compared his last ever professional race to the support he received around London 2012, as the four-time Olympic and six-time champion bowed out at the Great North Run.

A six-time winner of the Great North Run, it wasnt surprising to see Farah end his competitive career on the roads of South Shields.

The 40-year-old announced in April that he was retiring and that the race in the North-East would be his last hurrah.

Since that decision, Farah ran 2:10:28 to finish ninth at the London Marathon, clocked 62:43 for fourth at the Big Half and was in that same position over the half-marathon again, at the Great North Run.

His time was 63:28 and broke down to 4:51 min/mile. Some going for a guy who is 40.

For the final time in his professional career, Mo Farah crosses the finish line

The quadruple Olympic and six-time champion bows out at the Great North Run by finishing fourth in 63:28

Thats 4:51 min/mile pace at 40 #GreatNorthRun pic.twitter.com/UqzwQK9efJ

AW (@AthleticsWeekly) September 10, 2023

Honestly, this is it, Im talking to you as a retired man, Farah said, after receiving applause from both the packed out crowd and his fellow athletes. It was very emotional and the last couple of days I was trying to sync it all in. I slept on it last night and didnt get much sleep. It reminded me a bit like 2012 with the people and its been a joy.

I think this is the right time [to retire]. Ive found it tough over the past couple of years with my body and not being able to do what I did. To be the best youve got to commit and run 100 miles a week and over the past couple of years Ive struggled to do that.

Its really important to me to be honest and that if Im not able to be competitive and win medals for my country then youve got to retire.

Ive achieved so much on the track and in both the half-marathon and marathon so Ive got nothing more to prove.

Farahs first ever taste of racing on the roads in the UK came as a 12-year-old back in 1995 when he finished 10th at the Mini London Marathon, completing the 4km circuit in 16:00.

He has won four Olympic gold medals, claimed six world titles and become European champion on five occasions.

Statistically, no male track distance runner has more major global titles to their name and Farah is also the most successful British track athlete in Olympic history.

Such was his competitiveness, Farah stated he wanted to win a seventh Great North Run title and also praised 2022 world champion and winner of the race Tamirat Tola.

World 2022 marathon champion Tamirat Tola takes the 2023 Great North Run crown

An amazing run as he runs under an hour to clock 59:58 and win by one minute and 22 seconds #GreatNorthRun pic.twitter.com/o0qRDMy3KR

AW (@AthleticsWeekly) September 10, 2023

The Ethiopian, running in a striking September heatwave across the UK, went under one hour and clocked 59:58.

Tola won by one minute and 22 seconds to Bashir Abdi, who has been part of the same training group with Farah out in Font-Romeu.

Jepchirchir shows why shes an Olympic champion

Olympic marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir beat New York Marathon winner Sharon Lokedi to take the Great North Run crown.

Jepchirchir, whose only race this season was at the London Marathon she finished third in 2:18:18 back in April, was comfortable and her 66:45 was enough to see off Lokedi by 57 seconds.

Both Jepchirchir and Lokedi went through 5km in 15:34 before the former made a move and by 10km had established a 16-second gap. She never looked back.

Jepchirchirs class showed and it wasnt surprising given the Kenyan broke the mixed half-marathon world record in 2017 and then ran a womens only world record over the distance twice three years ago. Letesenbet Gidey holds the current mark at 62:52.

Charlotte Purdue was the highest placed Brit in either of the elite races and clocked 69:36.

She is planning to run Berlin Marathon on September 24.

I just wanted to have a strong race as Im running Berlin Marathon in two weeks. @charliepurdue on being the top Brit at the Great North Run finishing third in 69:36

After a tough start to the year, she has been training out in Font ahead of Berlin

@TimAdams76 pic.twitter.com/5pfrAPiONE

AW (@AthleticsWeekly) September 10, 2023

I knew it was going to be a testing race given the heat, Purdue told AW. I ran pretty much the whole way alone and I didnt have a lot to go off. I ran a strong race and didnt want to dig a hole as Im running the Berlin Marathon in two weeks.

I had a bit of a rough start to the year and coming back from Font-Romeu, Ive been in good shape. I just wanted to put a good performance out there.

Last year in London I got food poisoning out and it really wiped me out. I had to take some time out after that and my body was really wrecked. At the start of the year I also got two injuries there as well and had to fly back.

It was a rough start to the year and Im feeling better now. You have to take the good with the bad and Im hoping for a good race in Berlin!

Kinghorn and Sidbury top the podium

Samantha Kinghorn continued to go from strength to strength this season as she added yet another major accolade to her CV.

The 27-year-old shone on the track at Julys World Para Athletics Championships in Paris and became world T53 100m champion, as well as claiming two silvers in the 400m and 800m.

Then, at the Big Half in London, Kinghorn one by tenths of a second to Eden Rainbow-Cooper in a photo finish.

This victory in South Shields was more comprehensive and the margin of victory was an astonishing two minutes and 24 seconds.

Kinghorn clocked 49:21 but missed out on Manuela Schars course record of 48:44.

What a performance Our first male wheelchair racer is across the finish line, a huge well done to Daniel Sidbury pic.twitter.com/HV9y2wNXm7

Great Run (@Great_Run) September 10, 2023

Danny Sidbury continued his stellar 2023 season with victory in the elite mens wheelchair race. He recorded a time of 42:48 and won by an astonishing one minute and 27 seconds to David Weir.

Weirs course record of 41:19 from 2018 still stands but Sidbury was on trajectory to getting close to it up until the final 5km.

For Sidbury, a first ever Great North win triumph marks another stellar achievement in a season littered with success.

The 29-year-old claimed world T54 bronze medals in both the 800m and 5000m at the World Para Athletics Championships.