Olympic legend Sir Mo Farrah has announced his withdrawal from this year's Great Manchester Run, citing fitness and performance issues. The four-time gold medallist made the decision after finishing second at the Vitality London 10km behind club runner Ellis Cross.
The run would have been his first appearance at the race since he claimed victory at the event four years ago. In 2018, Sir Mo triumphed over Ugandan Moses Kipsiro in a tantalising sprint finish, winning the 10km in a time of 28 minutes and 27 seconds.
While the Olympic and World Champion failed to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics held last year, he insisted afterwards he wouldn’t be retiring. When it was first announced that he would be taking part in the Great Manchester Run earlier this year, the celebrated runner said that his training had been going well and that he was “looking forward to racing on the streets of the city later this year”.
