Running News Daily

Sir Mo Farah fails to qualify for Olympics and will not defend 10,000m title in Tokyo

Sir Mo Farah will not defend his 10,000m Olympic title later this summer after failing to qualify for the Tokyo Games.

The four-time Olympic champion missed the qualifying time in an invitational 10,000m at the British Athletics Championships and suffered a devastating blow in Manchester.

Farah needed to go under 27 minutes 28 seconds at the Regional Arena to earn his place on the plane to Tokyo ahead of Sunday night’s deadline.

But he clocked 27 minutes 47.04 seconds and will not defend the 10,000m title he won in 2012 and 2016.

Farah, a double 5,000m Olympic champion, said trackside: “I don’t know what to think or what’s next. If I can’t compete with the best why bother?

“There’s no excuse in terms of conditions – it is what it is. I genuinely thought I’d come out here, get the time and then go back to the training camp.

“I’ve had an amazing career. Thinking about it tonight it’s a bit shocking and I don’t really know what to say.

“I’m lucky enough to have so many medals. I’m one of these athletes who, if you can’t compete with the best, why bother?”

The invitational race was hastily arranged after Farah failed to qualify during the 10,000m trials in Birmingham earlier this month.

He was the second Brit home in eighth on that occasion, behind Marc Scott in 27 minutes 50.54 seconds, and blamed an ankle problem for hampering his attempt.

It was the first time he had lost a 10,000m race in a decade having decided to return to the track after focusing on the marathon since 2017.