British track and field athlete Mo Farah has insisted that any good feeling between himself, Olympic gold medallist Haile Gebrselassie and his Ethiopian compatriot Kenenisa Bekele will be put aside during the Great North Run on Sunday.
Farah will compete in the 13-mile long Great North Run on Sunday from Newcastle to South Shields alongside his hero Gebrselassie, who inspired him to Olympic glory in the first instance, and Bekele, in a half marathon meeting, which will see such a star-studded lineup in its 22-year history for the first time.
According to The Guardian, Farah, who will use the race as preparation for his full-distance debut in the London Marathon next year having run half of the course in April, said that although it would feel 'odd' to race against his idol, he nevertheless intends to win the keenly anticipated marathon.
Stating that it would be nice to have the three of them competing in the event, Farah also said that as an athlete, he needs a new challenge sometimes, adding that after dominating on the track, he is now looking to prove his mettle on the road.
The report mentioned that although Farah might be the 5,000m and 10,000m Olympic champion but it is Bekele who holds the world records over both distances, while the 40-year-old Gebrselassie is a former half-marathon record holder and won the 2010 Great North Run in a time of 59min 33sec.
Meanwhile, Gebrselassie said that since Farah come onto the track scene, it has gone downhill for Ethiopia and Kenya, although Bekele is confident that he is still the best as he achieved world championships, Olympics and world records despite his struggle to find top form this year.
