European Athletics (EAA) – News – Men’s long distance: Unstoppable Farah

The 27-year-old Briton Mo Farah made sure he upgraded his 5000m silver medal at the 2006 European Athletics Championships in Göteborg to the gold medal in Barcelona.

The 2009 European indoor 3000m champion also improved upon his previous 5000m personal best of 13:07.00 from September 2007 by clocking 13:05.66 in Gateshead in July in his last race before Barcelona.

Earlier in June, Farah won the SPAR European Team Championships and also set a national record over a 10km road race, clocking 27:44 in London in May. Farah competed sparingly during the season, but was still a clear favourite in both 5000m and 10000m in Barcelona because of his famed finishing speed.

At the Europeans he easily sped away in a slow 5000m race, completing his double by clocking 13:31.18 ahead of Spaniard Jesús España, who clocked 13:33.12 for the second place and Hayle Ibrahimov (AZE) who finished third in 13:34.15.

Mo Farah continued his good form in Zurich, where he set a UK record of 12:57.94 during his fifth place finish at the Weltklasse meeting. This finally erased Dave Moorcroft’s 28 year old record of 13:00.41, which was also a world record at that time.

The European 10000m season was usually thin with most top runners only competing once or twice. There was an early glimpse of promise when 29-year-old Briton Chris Thompson clocked 27:29.61 in Stanford, USA, to emerge as European leader and number 20 on the European all time list. Thompson, previously a promising 5000m runner with a best time of 13:24.60 as a 23-year-old in 2004, also set his 5000m PB during the season in Gateshead before Barcelona where he clocked 13:11.51.

A little over a month later Mo Farah hit back and took over the mantle of European leader while winning the European Cup 10000m in Marseille in June clocking 27:28.86. At the European championships in Barcelona, the 10000m race started with a relatively slow pace and still many runners were off the leaders’ pace before halfway.

It quickly became clear that the two Britons topping the rankings would also be the ones fighting for the places on the podium. In the end Farah raced away to win his first European title on track in 28:24.99, with Thompson and Italian Daniele Meucci clocking exactly the same 28:27.33 time to win silver and bronze medals, respectively.

Spaniard Ayad Lamdessem, who was third fastest European in 2010 with a 28:03.18 at the Spanish championships, finished fourth in Barcelona in 28:34.89.

Notable stats:

5000m

New entries on the European all time list:

3rd place 12:57.25 Alemayehu Bezabeh ESP
4th place 12:57.94 Mo Farah GBR

2010 head-to-head between best Europeans:

Mo Farah GBR – Jesús España ESP 1-0

Mo Farah GBR – Alemayehu Bezabeh ESP 2-0

Mo Farah GBR – Chris Thompson GBR 3-0

Career head-to-head between best Europeans:

Mo Farah GBR – Jesús España ESP 4-2

Mo Farah GBR – Alemayehu Bezabeh ESP 3-1

Mo Farah GBR – Chris Thompson GBR 7-3

10000m

New entries on the European all time list:

19th place 27:28.86 Mo Farah GBR

21st place 27:29.61 Chris Thompson GBR

2010 head-to-head between best Europeans:

Mo Farah GBR – Chris Thompson GBR 1-0

Mo Farah GBR – Daniele Meucci ITA 2-0

Ayad Lamdessem ESP – Carles Castillejo ESP 2-0

Career head-to-head between best Europeans:

Mo Farah GBR – Chris Thompson GBR 1-0

Mo Farah GBR – Daniele Meucci ITA 2-0

Carles Castillejo ESP – Ayad Lamdessem ESP 4-2