Four-time Olympic gold medallist Sir Mo Farah has said he hopes to return to the Great North Run in a bid to rewrite the history books once again.
The double-double Olympic champion made history in 2016 as he became the first man to win the race for a third consecutive year.
And Sir Mo has revealed he plans to race on September 10 in a bid to secure a record-breaking fourth consecutive title, ahead of taking on a ‘new challenge’ on the roads.
“I will definitely be looking for a new challenge,” he told the Radio Times ahead of the start of the World Athletics Championships in London on Friday.
“I’ll be racing at the Great North Run in September and then I’m hoping to transition to the roads.
“I’d love to win the London Marathon one day and I’ll certainly give it my best shot – but it’s a big change moving from the track to the roads so we’ll see.”
In Sir Mo’s Great North Run debut in 2013, Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele pulled away from him in the final couple of miles to seize the title.
Since then, he has not looked back and last year saw off the challenge of American Dathan Ritzenheim to come home in a time of 1:00:04.
Speaking after the 2016 race, Sir Mo said: “I just had to hang on for my dear life. It was tough, but it was amazing to have so many people cheering for me. That’s what drove me to the line.
“He (Ritzenhein) had me worried at one point. With three miles to go, I was thinking, ‘Will I have to let him go?’ But then I was saying, ‘Hang in there, hang in there.’
“I managed to hold on, and it was the downhill section that was crucial.
“I remember when I raced against Bekele and (Haile) Gebreselassie, Bekele went so hard on that downhill part. He opened up a gap, and I wasn’t able to close it.
“I decided to do that to Dathan, so I just went as hard as I could. I wanted to make a little gap, and then try to hold it.
“Knowing the course inside out helped a lot. I knew which bits were going to be tough, and which I was going to work hard on. It helped me out massively.”
Sir Mo has previously spoken for his admiration of Newcastle and the North East.
He said the people of Newcastle were his favourite thing and he thanked them for their support over the years.
The 34-year-old, a keen football fan and Arsenal supporter, also revealed he loves crossing the Tyne Bridge and also has fond memories of Alan Shearer playing for Newcastle United.
