LONDON — Mo Farah bade farewell to racing in London after finishing fourth in his penultimate race at the Big Half.
The 40-year-old stayed in touch with the leading pack for the first half of elite men’s race but dropped back after about 30 minutes.
Farah’s last results saw him finish eighth in the Great Manchester Run 10K in May and ninth in the London Marathon the previous month.
The Big Half was Farah’s last race in London, with the final race of his career taking place at the Great North Run on Tyneside next week.
Jack Rowe came first in the elite men’s race with a time of 01:01:08, narrowly edging out fellow Briton Mahamed Mahamed who finished in 01:01:16.
Andrew Butchart was next to cross the line before Farah finished with a time of 01:02:43.
Calli Thackery finished first in the women’s elite race, with David Weir earning the top spot in the wheelchair race.
Farah told BBC Sport: “It was quite emotional today because I haven’t been feeling well this week, I’ve got a bit of a cold.
“I didn’t know if I could do the race, then I was thinking about all the people coming out here and I’m not going to get another chance.
“I came out, gave it my best but you can’t take anything away from Jack, he’s been working hard for the last three years and he’s deserved that win.
“It’s just nice to see youngsters coming along, grabbing that chance and believing in themselves.
“As I said, when you’ve achieved everything it must come to an end at some point. I’m getting on a bit and I’m kind of just looking forward to taking a break and hopefully being involved in sports, but just spending time with my family.
“Honestly, without the crowd and support I’ve had over the years it wouldn’t be the same.”
Race winner Rowe added: “I’m super happy. I’ve been out training hard with Mo and his team and some guys I go out with.
“It was nice to come back and deliver, it feels smooth out there and I enjoy running out on the roads in London.”
Farah started his career as a junior runner in London and won the London Mini Marathon twice in 1999 and 2000.
He also created history by winning the Vitality London 10,000 a record seven times between 2009 and 2019, while his London Marathon career high came in 2018 when he sprinted down The Mall to cheers from the crowds, finishing third.
‘Throughout the rest of my career, it was that moment and feeling I got from it which kept driving me on to try to repeat it, to continue to be successful.
‘Everyone knows what this city means to me. I’ve been racing around the streets of London since I was an under-13 athlete competing in the Mini London Marathon.
Mo has long had a huge wealth of support whenever competing in the UK and received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II in 2017.
Farah has recently been outspoken about his experiences being trafficked to the UK as a child and being forced to be a domestic servant.
