There will be tears when Sir Mo Farah turns away from Buckingham Palace on Sunday morning and dashes down The Mall one last time.
A final marathon for one of the all-time great Britons, who has been humbled by the alluring distance, growing wiser with age as he bids to conquer 26.2 miles for the first time since October 2019 when he finished eighth in Chicago in 2:09:58 - 4:47 slower than his personal best.
Now 40 years of age, Farah appreciates merely stepping on the start line, following a late withdrawal last year in London. Reflecting on a legendary career, which included four Olympic gold medals and the British marathon record, Farah is savouring the journey.
“It’s been emotional the last couple of years,” Farah concede. “As an athlete, you want to do the best you can, but my body hasn’t allowed me to do what I can do in training.
“You take it for granted, but when you get to the top you race and train year after year, for me, 8-10 years, you take it for granted.
“You keep going, but as you get older, that totally changes. You can’t do what you did a few years ago. It’s the most frustrating thing, nothing has changed, but it happens, it’s been tough.
“London last year, a week and a half out, it’s hard. As long as I stay injury free, I’ll continue, but my body is not allowing me. Sunday will probably be my last marathon, I’m just being realistic.”
So what would be realistic for Farah and what time can we expect? The evidence tells us Farah could be left behind by this field, having placed eighth at the 10km in Port Gentil, Gabon, two weeks ago in a rather pedestrian 30:41, two and a half minutes behind Vincent Kipkemoi in 28:11.
But while that may have provoked some concern back home, sources tell The Independent Farah struggled in the heat and simply decided to jog home, conserving energy for Sunday.
Instead, optimism has grown in recent days for Farah, since his friend and training partner Bashir Abdi won the Rotterdam Marathon last week in 2:03:47, 11 seconds outside his European record. Farah insists he’s taken a “massive confidence boost” from that result, given he has been “neck and neck” in training with the Belgian, who won bronze at the Tokyo Olympics.
“The support will get to me, trying not to think about that, try run and then after the race there will be some tears,” Farah concludes.
“This is it. I don’t know if my body can do it. Working week in, week out. I have to finish. There’s no doubt.”
So a new era in British marathon running begins on Sunday. And while it was supposed to include Eilish McColgan, a late withdrawal with a knee injury on Friday, Emile Cairess bolsters British hopes among the elite men. The Bradford man looks poised to break 2:10 on debut, having secured a European 10-mile record in 45:57 last month.
But while Eliud Kipchoge’s tight grip atop the sport has loosened somewhat, after finishing sixth following a punishing experienced across the hills of Boston, the future remains bright in the shape of Kelvin Kiptum. The 23-year-old is fresh from a sizzling 2:01:53 on debut last December to win in Valencia, but the Kenyan must back up his rare potential in his marathon major debut, as well as the expectations as a favourite alongside defending champion Amos Kipruto.
While the race may serve as a celebration of Farah’s career, another 40-year-old legend hopes to fend off Father Time a little longer. Kenenisa Bekele, who still owns the third fastest marathon time in history (2:01:41) and can count three Olympic gold medals to Farah’s four, admits training has been “good but not perfect”. But after a shaky recent history with injuries, just like Farah, reaching the start line is a small victory.
While McColgan’s absence adds a tinge of disappointment to the women’s race, a colossal battle between Peres Jepchirchir and Brigid Kosgei awaits. Both women have collected major victories and world records, but a head-to-head battle can be precious in such a gruelling sport.
Kosgei is out for revenge in what is just their second meeting head-to-head after settling for silver behind Jepchirchir in the humid Sapporo at the Tokyo Games in 2021.
Then there is the defending champion Yalemzerf Yehualaw, still just 23 and eager to take more scalps while translating her breathtaking speed over the shorter distances, having completed a 10km in January in a brisk 29:19. The remarkable depth to this race is only illustrated by Yehualaw’s debut record in Hamburg (2:17:23) last year not even lasting six months after Almaz Ayana shaved three more seconds off the record to triumph in Amsterdam last October. She, too, will have hopes of seizing victory.
And lastly, look out for the queen of range and versatility: Sifan Hassan. The Dutch runner can boast personal best times of 1:56 in the 800m, 3:51 in the 1,500m, 14:22 at the 5,000m, 29:06 in the 10,000m and a 65:15 half marathon. Should she conquer London across the iconic 26.2-mile distance, her legacy would be complete. After an audacious attempt at three gold medals in Tokyo, ending in just two golds and a bronze, it would be foolish to doubt her.
