'My body just can't do this any more... but I've no regrets'

Mo Farah on his struggle to stay competitive at the age of 40 ahead of his final marathon

- Matt Majendie

FOR all the months spent in Ethiopia, the times and data recorded, Mo Farah has no idea quite how Sunday’s London Marathon will unfold.

“You can’t,” he says. “Take Eliud Kipchoge in Boston the other day. You would have predicted him to win that.” Even the best marathon runner of all time can have a bad day, the world record holder ending up in sixth place.

For Farah, there is realism, too. Kipchoge’s record is not under threat from him, nor is the outcome of this weekend’s race. Instead, now 40, the Londoner joked about targeting the British masters record.

His farewell to marathon running is not quite like that of Paula Radcliffe back in 2015, when she recovered from her foot injury to mix it with club athletes. Nor will Farah be mixing it with the front group for his final competitive 26.2miles.

Other races will follow in 2023 — the details of which he will announce in due course — but this will be arguably the last meaningful race for Britain’s greatest ever distance runner.