Enthusiastic Mo Farah aiming to break UK indoor 5000m record in Birmingham
Britain’s double European champ Mohammed ‘Mo’ Farah is aiming to set more records in Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham. The distance star aims to break the 5000m indoor record; he already holds the outdoor record.
The Somali-born runner is targeting to beat the record set by Nick Rose in 1982. Rose clocked 13:21:27: the fourth fastest by a European sprinter over 25 laps, indoors.
“I would really love to get close to the British record, that’s my goal,” the 28-year old said.
Farah will have to beat the likes of Kenya’s Sammy Mutahi, Bethwell Birgen and Galen Rup of America to achieve his target. If he does, it would be his fifth national record.
He holds the record for the 5000 m (12:57:94), 5 km (13:30) and 10 km (27:44). Just last year at the same event, he set the British indoor 3000m record (7:34.47).
Commenting on his award winning performance in 2010, Farah said: “It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, and in the last four years or so I’ve felt that I’ve been really close so it was great to finally pull it out of the bag.”
When asked if he felt pressured by expectations from the audience, Farah said “I don’t feel any pressure; it’s fantastic to have the public behind you and for them to see how well you’re doing.”
Farah was in United States during this winter for training in Flagstaff, Arizona. He believes the training will help him in the upcoming event: “I’ve been in the US for a training camp and I’m feeling in really good shape. It was nice to get another block
of training in before competing indoors.”
Mo is yet to decide whether he will participate in the upcoming event in Paris to attempt to retain his 3000m indoor title.
The Birmingham competition kicks off on 19 February, 2011.
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