Mo Farah’s greatest races – AW

In a year where the multiple global champion called time on his career, we look at some of his finest moments

In 2017, Mo Farah achieved his 10th successive global championships win in the 10,000m. A few days later, he finished second in the 5000m to win a 12th successive global medal. It made him the most dominant 5000m and 10,000m racer of all time.

The Newham & Essex Beagle, Britain’s most successful track and field athlete with four Olympic golds, was unique in setting European records from 1500m to the marathon.

As he bows out from the sport, we select his greatest competitions from an international career that started in 1999 when he ran the World Youth Championships.

2001 Grosseto – European Junior 5000m: First, 14:09.91

Farah won by almost two seconds from Bruno Saramago. The Portuguese had a less auspicious career, peaking with a 13:59.20 in 2004, ultimately well under a minute slower than Farah’s best.

2006 San Giorgio su Legnano – European Cross Country Championships: First, 27:56

Finishing only 40th at the World Cross earlier that year, Farah was comfortably the class of the field and won by 10 seconds.

2009 Turin – European Indoor Championships 3000m: First, 7:40.17 

Farah won his first major senior title on the track as he defeated Bob Tahri by two seconds.

Mo Farah in Turin 2009 (Mark Shearman)

2010 Barcelona – European Championships 5000m: First, 13:31.18

Up against Jesus Espana who had beaten him in 2006, Farah ran the penultimate lap in 59.15 and the penultimate 200m in 28.6 but still had Espana and Hayle Ibrahimov on his shoulder. The Briton had more in the tank, though, and a 27.1 last 200m broke the opposition as he won by two seconds from Espana.

2011 Eugene – 10,000m: First, 26:46.57

This was the race which showed Farah had gone from world-class runner to world beater. He produced a 42-second PB that was a European record, took half a minute off the British record and defeated a top-class field. The top nine broke 26:56 as Farah controlled the race with a 2:30 final kilometre and won by nearly two seconds from Imane Merga.

2011 Monaco – 5000m: First, 12:53.11

Farah produced a 53-second last lap as he comfortably held off 2007 world champion Bernard Lagat. It was a 5000m UK record, improving his time from Zurich the previous year when he produced the first British sub-13 minute run. Ultimately it would be the fastest 5000m of his career.

2011 Daegu – World Championships 10,000m: Second,…