Mo Farah said Sunday’s London Marathon helped confirm he was making the right decision to retire.
The 40-year-old finished the race in ninth place — and only the third British finisher — after struggling during the latter stages.
After clocking a time of 2hr 10min 28sec — a Masters record, but somewhat off the time he had anticipated — the Londoner said: “I was confident and thought I could do between 2:05 and 2:07, but the body didn’t respond today and it was a little bit disappointing. That’s when you know it’s time to call it a day.”
It marked Farah’s last marathon, although he will race twice more in 2023 before hanging up his running shoes — at next month’s Great Manchester 10k, before his career finale at the Great North Run in September.
Farah, who has just one marathon win to his name (at Chicago in 2018), was never expected to challenge for victory, which went to Kenya’s Kelvin Kiptum in a lightning quick time of 2:01.25.
Instead, Farah was beaten to top Brit by Emile Cairess and Phil Sesemann and, such were his struggles, he toyed with quitting during his final time over 26.2miles.
“If it wasn’t for the crowd, at some point I would have dropped out,” he said. “That’s what kept me going. It was amazing support. Part of me wanted to cry, but the people were amazing, even in the rain, out on the streets.
“It’s what has kept me going for so long throughout my career. I will miss that feeling. I am emotional today. London has been so great to me over the years and I wanted to be here to say thank you to the crowd. But the Great North Run is going to be my last-ever run, and that will be my goodbye.”
The men’s elite race proved something of a run against the clock, as Kiptum broke away from the rest of the leaders to win by three minutes.
There was drama in the women’s race, when Sifan Hassan recovered from twice having to stop for a hip problem to win a three-way sprint in what was the first marathon of her illustrious career.
The two-time Olympic champion on the track said: “I’m born to have drama. It was just amazing. I never thought I would finish a marathon, and here I am winning it.”
