(Sept 15, 2013, (BBC))--Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele saw off double world and Olympic champion Mo Farah's late surge to win the Great North Run in a thrilling sprint finish.
Britain's Farah, 30, chased down Bekele in the last 400m in a great finale but was pipped to the line by one second. Another Ethiopian, Haile Gebrselassie, was a distant third after falling behind in the last of the 13.1 miles. "I'm disappointed but I was second to a great athlete," said Farah after finishing in one hour and 10 seconds. The sight of Farah and Bekele fighting it out in the last 200m was a fitting conclusion to what had been an eagerly anticipated race from Newcastle upon Tyne to South Shields.
The three distance-running greats - Farah, Bekele and Gebrselassie - boast 12 world titles and seven Olympic gold medals between them and were together until 31-year-old Bekele, competing in his first half marathon, made his break down a steep slope.
"When Kenenisa went with a mile to go, I thought the pace was ridiculous," said Farah, who won 5,000m and 10,000m gold at the World Championships in Moscow last month. "I thought I could come back. It came to the last 200m, right to the line. It was a great race and a great finish." Read more from BBC »
Britain's Farah, 30, chased down Bekele in the last 400m in a great finale but was pipped to the line by one second. Another Ethiopian, Haile Gebrselassie, was a distant third after falling behind in the last of the 13.1 miles. "I'm disappointed but I was second to a great athlete," said Farah after finishing in one hour and 10 seconds. The sight of Farah and Bekele fighting it out in the last 200m was a fitting conclusion to what had been an eagerly anticipated race from Newcastle upon Tyne to South Shields.
The three distance-running greats - Farah, Bekele and Gebrselassie - boast 12 world titles and seven Olympic gold medals between them and were together until 31-year-old Bekele, competing in his first half marathon, made his break down a steep slope.
"When Kenenisa went with a mile to go, I thought the pace was ridiculous," said Farah, who won 5,000m and 10,000m gold at the World Championships in Moscow last month. "I thought I could come back. It came to the last 200m, right to the line. It was a great race and a great finish." Read more from BBC »
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