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Eilish McColgan is set to return to the streets of London on Sunday, September 27, 2026 with history firmly within her sights as she bids to claim a record-breaking fourth Vitality London 10,000 title.

The British distance star will line up in the capital looking to add another chapter to her impressive record at the event. A fourth victory would make McColgan the outright most successful female winner in the race’s history.

McColgan arrives as the defending champion after producing a superb performance last season. She stopped the clock at 30:35 to take victory, finishing ahead of Jessica Warner-Judd and Alex Bell.

That triumph gave McColgan her third London 10,000 crown, putting her level with the existing record for most women’s victories. She now has the opportunity to move clear and establish a new benchmark.

Her latest challenge comes after another busy period on the road. McColgan returned to racing at the Big Half before competing at the Great North Run, continuing her preparations for another major 10km outing in the British capital.

The London 10,000 has become a particularly successful fixture in McColgan’s career, and she will once again be among the leading names expected to fight for the women’s title.

Standing between her and history will be a competitive field, including familiar rivals such as Warner-Judd, who finished runner-up to McColgan last year.

For McColgan, though, the objective is clear: another victory would not simply add another title to her collection. It would make her the sole record holder for women’s victories at the Vitality London 10,000.

With three wins already secured, all eyes will be on McColgan as she chases a fourth crown and another memorable achievement on the streets of London.

In a commanding performance, Eilish McColgan stormed to victory in the women’s race at the Vitality London 10,000, clocking 30:35. The Scottish star’s win marks her third career triumph at this event, equalling the record for the most women’s victories in its history and reaffirming her place among Britain’s greatest distance runners.

From the opening strides, McColgan dictated the pace with her trademark front-running style, pulling clear of the field and maintaining her advantage through the finish. Her ability to combine rhythm, strength, and tactical awareness once again left her rivals without answers.

Spotlight on the Women’s Race

The London 10,000 has long been a stage for showcasing endurance talent, and McColgan’s achievement highlights both her consistency and her resilience. Winning three times on such a competitive course is rare, and her 30:35 finishing time underlines the world-class quality of her performance. For McColgan, this victory is not only a testament to her current form but also a powerful reminder of her longevity at the top level.

Glance at the Men’s Race

While McColgan’s record-equalling feat headlined the day, the men’s contest delivered drama of its own. Zak Mahamed captured his first London 10,000 title in 29:07, ahead of Blake Moore and Seyfu Jamaal. Mahamed, returning after more than two months away from competition, used the race as a statement of fitness as he looks toward the upcoming road season.

A Defining Moment

The 2025 edition of the Vitality London 10,000 will be remembered first and foremost for McColgan’s landmark achievement. Her third victory, sealed in 30:35, not only cements her status as a leading force in British road racing but also inspires the next generation of athletes who look to follow in her footsteps.

The British distance runner is now joint-fifth on the UK 10km all-time list after his run in the Shropshire town

Jack Rowe got the better of Phil Sesemann at the Telford 10km, shaving five seconds off his personal best with a time of 28:02 (December 14).

The Aldershot, Farnham & District athlete’s previous quickest mark was the 28:07 he clocked in Manchester three years ago.

Not only was Rowe’s 28:02 the fastest time by a Brit over 10km this season but it also put him joint-fifth on the UK all-time list over the distance.

This was Rowe’s fourth major win of the autumn road season after victories at the Big Half, Vitality London 10,000 and Manchester Half Marathon.

It’s been quite the season for Rowe, who’s recorded personal bests in the 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and 10,000m.

Sesemann meanwhile clocked 28:08 for second in Telford, just short of his 10km best of 28:26, set at the Corrida Pédestre Internationale de Houilles meet in France five years ago.

Kadar Omar was third in 28:34 with his Birchfield Harriers team-mate fourth Aron Gebremariam in 28:58.

It was Gebremariam’s first ever 10km and the English national cross-country junior champion performed well.

It was a much closer affair in the women’s field, with Amelia Quirk edging out Sarah Astin by just three seconds.

Quirk, who won the English national cross-country crown in 2020 and is a regular on British distance teams, clocked 32:40.

The Bracknell AC athlete races sparingly on the roads and this was only her second outing over 10km, with Quirk’s previous best mark being 31:53 from Valencia last year.

Natasha Phillips ran 32:56 for third place, a mark that put her top of the British under-20 rankings this season and fourth on the all-time junior list, after being pushed by Bournemouth based Ethiopian Atsede Gidey.

Teenager Holly Weedall also set a personal best of 33:21, improving on the 33:58 she clocked in Telford last year.

Eilish McColgan won the Vitality London 10,000 women's race, while Jack Rowe claimed victory in the men's event.

McColgan, who was 15th in the 10,000m at the 2024 Olympics in Paris, finished in a time of 31 minutes 36 seconds.

Lucy Reid (32:17) was second and Lily Reid (32:37) third.

Rowe crossed the line in 29:14, with Seyfu Jamaal second in 29:42 and Tewelde Menges third in 29:55.

David Weir won the men's wheelchair race in 22:13, while Martyna Snopek triumphed in the women's wheelchair event in 38:37.

The 10km race is held in central London on a route that passes famous landmarks including Nelson's Column, St Paul's Cathedral, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament before finishing at Buckingham Palace.

Distance runners are part of 20,000-strong line-up the streets of London on Sunday with the Westminster Mile on Saturday

Fresh from her 67:45 at the Great North Run and victory at the Big Half earlier this month, Eilish McColgan heads the line-ups for the Vitality London 10,000 on the roads on Sunday (Sept 22).

About 20,000 runners will take part in the event the closed roads of the British capital on a route that travels past iconic landmarks such as Admiralty Arch, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Bank of England, Somerset House, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey, before finishing in front of Buckingham Palace.

Jack Rowe, the men’s winner at the Big Half and 2023 Vitality London 10,000 winner, leads the men’s fields.

Also taking part are Jo Pavey, a three-times winner of the Vitality London 10,000 and five-times Olympian, plus wheelchair racer David Weir.

The previous day, on Saturday (Sept 21), the Vitality Westminster Mile will see athletes of all ages and abilities take on the route around St James’s Park.

This includes the British Milers’ Club Bannister Mile where runners will try to break four minutes in the 70th year since Roger Bannister became the first person to run under that mark.

The inaugural BMC Bannister Mile features Joe Wigfield, ranked eighth-fastest man in the country over 1500m this year (having set a personal best of 3:36.09 in July), and Katie Snowden, fourth-fastest woman over the distance in the UK in 2024 who narrowly missed out on qualification for Team GB at the Paris Olympics.

There will also be some veteran records on the line with current masters indoor champion over 1500m, James Thie, and world-record setting hairdresser-turned-steeplechaser, Kirstie Booth, targeting history in the over-45 categories.

The four-time world champion has confirmed where she will run next after her third-place finish at the Paris Marathon in April.

Vivian Cheruiyot has confirmed her next race after her third-place finish at the Paris Marathon in April.

Cheruiyot will race at the AJ Bell Great North Run scheduled for September 8 where she will line up against tough opponents including Eilish McColgan.

Cheruiyot has raced three times this season, opening her season in Paris and proceeding to the National Cross-Country championships where she finished 16th before racing at the Kilimanjaro Half Marathon where she finished second.

On her part, McColgan holds the British records on the roads at 5km, 10km, 10 miles and half-marathon and has won other Great Run events and in 2021 finished runner-up to Hellen Obiri at the Great North Run.

An injury set her back at the Paris Olympic Games but is expected to bounce back at the Big Half in London on September 1 before heading to the Great North Run and then the Vitality London 10,000 on the roads of London.

Another challenger will be Sheila Chepkirui who was third behind McColgan at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in the 10,000m.

The Ethiopian charge will be led by Senbere Teferi, the former women-only 5km world record-holder with Mergetu Alemu also in the mix. British-based Kenyan Mary Ngugi-Cooper will also be competing at the event.

The men’s race will be headlined by Marc Scott who will try to reclaim the title he won in 2021. He faces a stern test from Berihu Aregawi, the Ethiopian who won the Olympic 10,000m silver.

Aregawi is a formidable opponent since he also went No.3 on the world all-time rankings for 3000m behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s world record in Poland.

Sisay Lemma, 2023 Boston Marathon winner Evans Chebet and Kenya’s NYC Half winner from earlier this year, Abel Kipchumba will also be in the mix.

Berihu Aregawi, Sisay Lemma and former winner Marc Scott are part of a strong men’s field for the September 8 event.

Eilish McColgan’s autumn road racing steps up a gear on September 8 when she tackles the AJ Bell Great North Run.

The 33-year-old holds the British records on the roads at 5km, 10km, 10 miles and half-marathon but has not yet won the iconic 13.1-mile race during her career. She has, however, won several other Great Run events and in 2021 finished runner-up to Hellen Obiri at the Great North Run.

After an injury-hit 2023, McColgan returned this summer to make the Olympic team in Paris, finishing 15th in the 10,000m. But after several more weeks of training she is expected to be stronger as she tackles the Big Half in London on September 1 followed by the Great North Run seven days later and then the Vitality London 10,000 on the roads of London again on September 22.

At the Great North Run she will face, among others, Vivian Cheruiyot, the Great North Run winner in 2016 and 2018, plus Sheila Chepkirui, the Kenyan who was third behind McColgan when the Scot won the Commonwealth 10,000m title in 2022.

Cheruiyot, who is now 40, also won the London Marathon in 2018 and the Olympic 5000m gold in 2016.

There is also Senbere Teferi, the former women-only 5km world record-holder and 65:32 runner in the half-marathon, plus two-time London Marathon podium placer Mergetu Alemu and British-based Kenyan Mary Ngugi-Cooper.

In the men’s race Marc Scott returns to try to retain the title he won in 2021. But he faces tough opposition from Berihu Aregawi, the Ethiopian who won Olympic 10,000m silver close behind Joshua Cheptegei in Paris.

Last weekend Aregawi also went No.3 on the world all-time rankings for 3000m behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen’s world record in Poland.

Also racing on Tyneside are 2024 Boston Marathon and 2021 London Marathon winner Sisay Lemma, 2023 Boston Marathon winner Evans Chebet and Kenya’s NYC Half winner from earlier this year, Abel Kipchumba.

McColgan said: “I have incredible memories of competing in Newcastle and participating in the Junior Great North Run events over 20 years ago, and we have a family history at the Great North Run, with mum being a three-time winner, so this year’s Great North Run will be a special one for me to finally follow in my mum’s footsteps and because as I have yet to run the original route from Newcastle to South Shields.”

She added: “Returning from this year’s Paris Olympics and on the road back from injury, I’m especially looking forward to the thousands of spectators lining the streets of the North East, as well as the 60,000 inspirational runners taking part in their own journey.”

McColgan’s best half-marathon time is 65:43 set in Berlin last year. Paula Radcliffe has run three seconds quicker – at the Great North Run in 2003 – but the course is not eligible for records.

This year’s run will also welcome back the elite men’s and women’s wheelchair races, held to the backdrop of this year’s Paralympic Games closing ceremony in Paris.  Notable competitors include JohnBoy Smith, Sean Frame, Michel McCabe and Jade Hall.

Sir Brendan Foster, founder of the Great North Run, said: “Our fantastic spectators are once again in for a great day thanks to our impressive elite field at the top end of our Great North Run Sunday.

Large queues have formed for a running race in London after swathes of runners did not receive their bib numbers. Around 15,000 runners were due to take part in the Vitality London 10km race on closed roads around the capital on Sunday.

Queues of participants waiting for replacement numbers snaked through Green Park, with the reason behind the delay unknown.

The first wave of runners was due to set off at 10am with the rest heading off in staggered starts, but organisers were having to hold them back.A London Marathon Events spokesperson told the PA news agency: “We’re aware there are a number of people who haven’t received their numbers, so we’re issuing replacement numbers as fast as we can at Green Park.”

Anthony Bailly, 33, an IT project manager from Haringey, north London, said he had been waiting since about 8.35am.He said: “Not much is being told to us, other than an ask to split into various numbers of queues, but it’s pretty much a free-for-all now.

“They have been calling people forward based on their start time, but people are reluctant to move to the priority queue because it’s starting to get longer than the queue we’re already in.”

The route starts on The Mall and travels past landmarks including Admiralty Arch, St Paul’s Cathedral, the Bank of England, Somerset House, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey, before finishing in front of Buckingham Palace.

Notable participants include British-Iranian dual national Anoosheh Ashoori and Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, as well as Dame Barbara Windsor’s widower Scott Mitchell and EastEnders actor Jake Wood.

Update: the race did take off and the winning time was unofficially 28:15 (photo by Catherine Cross for MBR).  

Mo Farah will race the Port-Gentil 10km in Gabon two weeks before what is expected to be the Briton's final London Marathon appearance.

The four-time Olympic champion, 40, announced in January that he expects 2023 to be his final year of racing before retirement.

 

Farah is currently training in Ethiopia as he continues his preparations for the London Marathon on 23 April.

He is unsure if the marathon will be his last competitive event.

In a short video, the British marathon record holder said he has been "preparing well" in Ethiopia, adding he is "really excited" to test his fitness over 10km on 8 April in Gabon, 15 days before he takes to the streets of his home city.

A hip injury prevented Farah from taking part in last year's London Marathon, with the 2023 race set to be his first full marathon since 2019.

The six-time world track champion won the Big Half - a half marathon race - in London in September but he has raced just seven times since October 2019.

Farah's personal best over 10km on the road is 27 minutes 44 seconds, however that time was set in 2010 and he was surprisingly beaten by club runner Ellis Cross in his last outing over the distance at the Vitality London 10,000 last year.

The 2018 Chicago Marathon winner's highest London Marathon finish was third in 2018. He will face a stacked field in the 2023 race, which features four of the five fastest runners in history.

The 2023 London Marathon will be broadcast live on BBC TV, iPlayer and online.

Last September Hellen Obiri beat Eilish McColgan by six seconds in the Great North Run and this Sunday (May 22) the duo renew their rivalry over the shorter distance of 10km at the Great Manchester Run.

McColgan has been in brilliant form, with a UK 5km record at the start of this month followed by victory in the Vitality London 10,000 where she missed Paula Radcliffe’s British record of 30:21 by only two seconds.

Obiri’s achievements make her the athlete to beat, though. As well as winning two world 5000m titles on the track, the Kenyan is the reigning Commonwealth 5000m champion and world cross-country gold medalist.

McColgan chose to give last week’s Night of the 10,000m PBs in London a miss in order to focus on training in the French Pyrenees. She will hope to push Obiri close again but the quality fields assembled for Manchester mean this won’t just be a two-horse race.

Ruth Chepnegetich defied horrendous heat and humidity to win the world marathon title in Doha in 2019 and the Kenyan has clocked 64:02 for the half-marathon, which was a world record when she ran it 13 months ago but has since been beaten by Letesenbet Gidey.

Sara Hall of the United States will be familiar to British fans after her runner-up performance at the 2020 London Marathon. She also held the US half-marathon record until recently, has a marathon best of 2:20:32 and is looking for a strong run in Manchester on Sunday.

Gerda Steyn, the South African ultra-marathon specialist, is also set to test her speed over 10km.

In addition to McColgan there are of course a number of other Brits in the elite women’s race. They include Jess Piasecki, the Stockport Harriers athlete who went No.2 on the UK all-time marathon rankings earlier this year with 2:22:27.

Steph Twell, the Tokyo Olympic marathon runner, is racing in Manchester ahead of the European Cup 10,000m in France a few days later.

After finishing ninth in the Boston Marathon in 2:25:26 in April, Charlotte Purdue also lines up in Manchester. Look out, too, for Lauren Heyes, Lily Partridge and Calli Thackery, the latter of whom is also racing at the Diamond League in Birmingham 24 hours earlier.

Like Thackery, Stewart McSweyn is also racing in Birmingham the day before the Manchester event as he continues to try to race himself into shape following a bout of Covid. He is joined by fellow Australian Jack Rayner plus New Zealand brothers Jake and Zane Robertson and Spaniard Antonio Abadia in the men’s 10km.

Sadly Mo Farah pulled out of the event following his under-par run at the Vitality London 10,000 earlier this month. But the winner that day, Ellis Cross, is set to race in Manchester and all eyes will be on him to see if he can repeat his form.

Mo Aadan, the Brit who finished third at the Vitality London 10,000, is in Manchester too. Further British contenders, meanwhile, include Ben Connor, Chris Thompson, Adam Craig, Josh Griffiths, Ross Millington, Phil Sesemann and Andrew Heyes.

Multiple Olympic and world champion Mo Farah admitted his elite track career could be over after he finished runner-up in the Vitality London 10,000 on Monday on his return to action.

Farah, who completed the 5,000 and 10,000 meters double at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, was racing for the first time since June after failing to qualify for last year's Tokyo Games.

The 39-year-old Briton finished a minute outside his best time at the London road race, which came in 2010, as he was out-sprinted by 26-year-old club runner Ellis Cross, who finished four seconds ahead with a time of 28min 40secs."In terms of the track, that's it, I think," Farah said. "Your body has to be ready. You have to be in the right frame of mind and compete with the guys. I love the sport and what I do, I've had a long career.

"The reality is that it has been so, so long. In my career, I've never been out that long before... Today was tough and Ellis did well to beat me."

Farah, who has won the London race seven times, confirmed he would definitely miss the World Championships in Eugene in July.

However, he was noncommittal when asked if he would run at the Commonwealth Games or European Championships in August.

"Right now, no," Farah said. "In three, months, two months...We've still got time.

"There's no secret to this, you've got to put in the miles, you've got to put in the work. If my body allows me to continue to do it then maybe.

"The World Championships are not on my radar at the minute... Because I've been there and done it, unless I can compete with the guys and be competitive, you've got to be honest and make that decision."

Eilish McColgan came within two seconds of Paula Radcliffe’s long-standing British and European 10km record at the Vitality London 10,000 on Monday (2) morning.

After a frantic sprint finish, McColgan stopped the clock at 30:23 to miss the record by a tantalising margin. However, Eilish did relieve her mother and coach Liz of yet another family record as she improved her Scottish record of 30:38 which had stood since 1989.

This was McColgan’s second near-European record in just over a week, proving the European 5000m silver medallist is back in top shape after testing positive for coronavirus in March. In Malaga last week, McColgan clocked 14:45 for 5km to fall one second short of Sifan Hassan’s European standard bearer.

At twice the distance eight days later, McColgan came within touching distance of Radcliffe’s 10km mark of 30:21 from 2003 which also stood as a world record for more than a decade. However, the European all-time list is headed by Lonah Chemtai Salpeter’s 30:05 clocking from Tilburg in 2019 although that time was not ratified for record purposes.

“I am gutted to have missed the British record by a couple of seconds. I probably didn’t believe I could do it, so I went into the race thinking I’d be happy to run 31:40, but I’m in much better shape than I give myself credit for,” said McColgan.

McColgan passed through halfway in 15:15 - by contrast Radcliffe rocketed through 5km in 14:48 when she clocked 30:21 - and despite mustering up some of her track speed in the last 200 meters, McColgan couldn’t quite revise the record books. 

“I only saw the clock when I turned the corner towards the finish line, and I thought: ‘Oh my god, I could make it in time. I think I probably ran a 200m PB in the push for the finish line. I was so desperate to get the record but hopefully there will be another opportunity to go for it again later this year,” said McColgan who holds the European 10km record in a women’s only race at 30:52.

McColgan won the women’s race by more than one minute from fellow Olympian Jess Piasecki in 31:28 with Samantha Harrison third in 31:44.

In the men’s race, British international Ellis Cross achieved a significant victory over multiple Olympic, European and world 5000m and 10,000m champion Mo Farah who was racing for the first time in almost one year due to a stress fracture. 

Cross broke clear of Farah in the last two kilometers for victory in 28:40 to Farah’s 28:44. "I’m lost for words – I did not expect this in a million years. Honestly, I know it’s a cliché, but I couldn’t believe it. I just felt very good from the get-go. Obviously, I knew Farah had a finish, so the last 2K I thought I’d try and wind it up a bit – try to sting his legs a little bit to hold him off,” said Cross.

More than 16,500 people will take part in the Vitality London 10,000 on Bank Holiday Monday May 2, headed by elite races that will see Sir Mo Farah returning to racing for the first time since June 2021 and the event debut of in-form Eilish McColgan, who could threaten Paula Radcliffe’s 19-year-old British and European 10K record.

Sir Mo is the most successful athlete in the history of the Vitality London 10,000, with seven victories to his name, and the multiple world and Olympic champion will use this year’s event as his first race back since picking up an injury last year while trying to qualify for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The 39-year-old will face his long-time friend and adversary Chris Thompson, as well as Phil Sesemann, the first British finisher at last year’s London Marathon. Andy Butchart, however, has had to withdraw from the race.

McColgan comes into the elite women’s race in red-hot form having smashed the British 5K record in Malaga, Spain, last Sunday (April 24). The Scottish star is already the owner of the women’s only British 10K record (30:52), which she set at the Great Manchester Run last year.

Only two British women have ever run faster over 10K than McColgan: Radcliffe, whose European and British record stands at 30:21, and McColgan’s mum, Liz Nuttall (formerly McColgan) who is the Scottish record holder with her personal best of 30:39 set in Orlando in 1989.

McColgan said: “I couldn’t have asked for a better start to my 2022 season than to set a new British 5K record in my first race. Now I’m really looking forward to coming back to the UK and running the Vitality London 10,000 and seeing what shape I am in over 10K.”

Joining McColgan in the elite women’s field is two-time Vitality London 10,000 champion Steph Twell and Jess Piasecki, the sixth fastest British woman of all time over 10K. Charlotte Purdue, who was ninth at The Boston Marathon earlier this month and was due to race, has had to withdraw due to illness.

A record 18 wheelchair athletes will take part this year, with the field led by Paralympic stars David Weir and Shelly Woods.

There will be 10 start waves at the Vitality London 10,000, including a Run for Ukraine wave, where the 2,000 entrants are encouraged to wearing blue and yellow and fundraise for the Ukraine relief effort. One hundred per cent of the discounted £15 entry fees for this wave will be donated by organisers London Marathon Events to the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

Anthony Seddon, 40, from Brighton, is one of those who will be joining the Run for Ukraine wave, as part of a 1,569-mile fundraising challenge to raise money for a cause that means so much to him.

Anthony’s wife Anna is Ukrainian and he is running 10 kilometres for as long as it takes to complete 1,569 miles – the distance between the football grounds of Brighton and Hove Albion, the club he supports, and Anna’s favourite football team in her home town of Dnipro.

Anna’s mother has fled Ukraine to live with the couple in Brighton, but the remainder of her family remain in the war-torn country.

Anthony said: “Anna has many friends and family still in Dnipro, some unable to leave but most wanting to stay in their homes.

I met Anna while watching England play football at the Euro 2012 tournament. As it was football that brought us together, I have committed to run those 1,569 miles, the distance from Brighton’s Amex Stadium to the Dnipro Arena by way of running events like the Vitality London 10,000 and other half and full marathons until I complete the distance.

“Between our fundraising page and money donated by friends and family beforehand we have managed to send more than £16,000 of aid so far and we hope we can send so much more. Every penny we raise is spent solely on medical aid.”

After a successful first edition in 2019, the Celebrate You wave returns to this year’s Vitality London 10,000 to promote the mental health benefits that regular exercise delivers.

The wave of 1,000 participants will be led by Celebrate You co-founder, journalist and author Bryony Gordon who will be running her 10th consecutive 10K as part of her ‘10 days of 10Ks’ challenge to promote the importance of activity for mental health and the peer support group Mental Health Mates that she founded in 2016.

Also running in the Celebrate You wave are theatre star Carrie Hope Fletcher, body positivity influencers and models Shareefa J and Jade Seabrook and Helen Thorn, one half of the comedy duo Scummy Mummies.

The Vitality Westminster Mile, staged in partnership with Westminster City Council, takes place on Sunday 1 May, with thousands of participants taking on a series of mile events throughout the day from 10:00 to 14:30.

Among the 15 waves on the day are the #RunforRuth wave for the Ruth Strauss Foundation, led by Sir Andrew Strauss, and a Special Olympics GB Unified Mile. There are also nine family waves, a parkrun wave and a junior wheelchair athletes wave. Parents or guardians have been able to register children under-12 for free.

The free Vitality Wellness Festival takes place in Green Park on both days, featuring exciting free activities for children on the Sunday and the chance to run on the Vitality Tumbleator, a giant treadmill, on both days.

The events share one of the most stunning Start and Finish Lines in sport, with The Mall providing the setting for an iconic start and Buckingham Palace as the backdrop for a stunning finish.

The Vitality London 10,000 will be broadcast live on BBC Sport Online, iPlayer and Red Button, as well as the Vitality London 10,000 Facebook page, from 09:45 to 11:45.

After his disappointing season last year he talked about having one last hurrah – a big farewell race somewhere to mark the end of a career that has brought him, among other things, 10 global track titles.

But there is now speculation he could be involved in this summer’s major championships on the track. Who knows, a return to the London Marathon in October could even be on the cards too.

Firstly, let’s stick to what we know. As Farah is racing 10km on the roads of London on May 2 and Manchester on May 22, this means we can pretty much rule him out of racing in the Müller Birmingham Diamond League on May 21.

Farah does not seem afraid of putting his reputation on the line either, incidentally, as the Great Manchester Run is also set to feature Stewart McSweyn, the Australian who holds the Oceania record for 1500m, mile and 3000m in addition to having clocked 27:23.80 for 10,000m on the track.

In addition, Andy Butchart is set to race and has been in good shape recently after having run 27:36.77 for 10,000m in California this month to break Ian Stewart’s 45-year-old Scottish record.

So if Farah’s road races in May go well, what are his options? Surprisingly he has never won a Commonwealth title and with the event on home soil in Birmingham it must be tempting.

The consensus is that he would struggle on the track against the likes of Joshua Cheptegei and Selemon Barega in the World Championships in Oregon in July. But Christian Malcolm, the head coach of the British team, has suggested it is “50/50”.

Speaking as last weekend’s World Indoor Championships in Belgrade drew to a close, Malcolm said: “Sir Mo is working hard and training. We will see how he goes in the summer. But he’s at that age now where you have to take it week-by-week, month-by-month, see where you are at in training.”

On the chances of him competing in Oregon, Malcolm added: “It’s possible. We don’t know at the moment. It’s 50-50 if I am being honest with you. Hopefully we will know a little bit more over the next six weeks.

As for the Great Manchester Run, Farah last took part in the event in 2018 when he outkicked Moses Kipsiro to clock 28:27.

Farah said: “I’m pleased to say the injury problems I had last year are now behind me, training has been going well and I am happy with the shape I am showing.

“Any time I race in the UK it is exciting for me because I love running in front of my home fans and I want to give my best for them.  I had an amazing reception in Manchester when I won the event in 2018 so I’m looking forward to racing on the streets of the city again later this year.”

It will be fascinating to see if Farah’s form during May is close to his best or whether there is little improvement on last year when he struggled at the British 10,000m Championships in Birmingham to clock 27:50.64 before barely improving three weeks later to run  27:47.04 in an invitation 10,000m at the Olympic trials in Manchester.

How will he fare, too, if he comes up against the rising force of Marc Scott, who beat Farah in Birmingham last year despite not being 100% fit himself and has since won the Great North Run, clocked 12:57.08 for 5000m indoors and on Saturday won bronze in the 3000m at the World Indoor Championships?

Distance running legend returns to the roads of London and Manchester in May but what else does the summer of 2022 hold in store?

After signing up to race the Vitality London 10,000 on the roads of the British capital on May 2, Mo Farah has now announced he will be running the Great Manchester Run on May 22.

Despite turning 39 years old March 23 and enduring an injury-hit summer in 2021 which saw him fail to make the British Olympic team for Tokyo, there are signs he could be entering a surprisingly busy racing period.

Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah will make his return to competition at the Vitality London 10,000 in May.

The 38-year-old, Britain's most decorated track and field athlete, has not raced since suffering a fractured foot in June last year.

He fell short of the 10,000m selection time for last year's Tokyo Olympics at the British Championships.

Farah, the 5,000m and 10,000m champion at both the London and Rio Games, is a seven-time winner of the London 10,000.

The race, won by Farah in five consecutive years between 2009 and 2013, and again in 2018 and its most recent edition in 2019, will take place on Monday 2 May.

"I've been working hard to get back into shape following my injury last summer and I've got a few more months of hard training ahead of me," said Farah.

"I have great memories of the event. I have won it seven times and racing in central London is something you can never get bored of. The atmosphere among the thousands of participants is always fantastic and I can't wait to be part of it again."

Farah said he would consider his future after failing to qualify for Tokyo, saying: "If I can't compete with the best why bother?"

He later told the BBC he had "been struggling for quite a while" but added he was determined to recover from the injury and finish his career on his own terms.

While yesterday’s news about the move to Plan B wasn’t what any of us wanted to hear, we’re staying positive and looking ahead to next spring and the Vitality London 10,000.

As you’ve told us you’re interested in the event, we bring you good news: it will be back on its central London course on Bank Holiday Monday 2 May 2022 – and entries are open now!

It’s your chance to set yourself a goal that’ll help you keep moving during the dark winter months while also enjoying the mental and physical health benefits of exercise.

It’s been more than 1,000 days since we were last able to hold the event in the capital and we can’t wait to return. 

There’s nothing quite like the feeling of running past some of the most famous sights in the city – including St Paul’s and the Houses of Parliament – surrounded by people with the same aim as you: to get to the Finish Line (and have fun of course)!

So enter now and begin the new year on a high, with a fun and achievable goal to aim for and something to look forward to in the spring.

See you on the Start Line!

As Global Running Day is approaching June 5 Bob Anderson, publisher and founder of My Best Runs has announced a new unique series of videos.  "The series called Running Is What We Do will be unique videos showing the world how important running is to us," says Bob Anderson.

The first in the series of short videos (2 to 8 minutes) was filmed in England at the Vitality London 10000.  Mo Farah won for the seventh time and Steph Twell won the woman's race.

"Of course it is always important to know who wins big races like this," says Bob.  "But there is so much more to know about this race.  Over 19,000 participants ran through central London Monday May 27.  The staging area was in Green Park, next to Buckingham Palace and we were right there."

Behind the scenes footage shows runners in the Park as they are getting ready to take off on their 10k journey through the city and after they finished.

The Vitality London 10000 was selected by My Best Runs as one of the Best 100 races in the World the last three years.  "In fact I think this might be the world's best 10K road race," says Bob after running it. 

"It has been on my bucket list for a couple of years and in March I decided to enter and travel from California to see if I could make the top three in the 70 plus division, since my training had been going well. 

"I had not run a race in England since 1966 and with over 415,000 people wanting to run the London Marathon (same group who puts on this race) I felt the race would be the perfect event to cover for our first video in our new series."

Part of racing is to make it to the podium in your age group, a goal that might have more meaning than the finishing medal. This was one of Bob's goals. He wanted to finish in the top three 70 plus. And he wanted to produce the first Running Is What We Do video.  Making it to the top three was more of a personal goal but it also added another story to cover.

Bob did reach his goal clocking 49:22 or 7:55/mile.  He had hoped to run a little faster but he started at the back of wave two being stuck in a toilet line.  By the time he got out he had three minutes to make it to the start. 

"I have been running races since 1962 and I even through there were tons of toilets, I made a quick wrong decision that cost me 25 minutes," says Bob.  "But at age 71 it seems like I need to go three or four times before racing.  It would have cost me more time if I had not made that stop.  I think as runners we all know what I am talking about."

He was stuck behind the pack and ran his first mile in 8:03.  And ran just under 25 minutes for 5k.  His last mile was 7:33.  So maybe he lost at least a minute.

Before and after the race he shot all the footage on his iPone 10 for this video.  He was able to cover the scene close-up and personal. His wife Catherine captured the race in over 1600 photos and several photos were used in the video.

"At the finish line I met Barrie Nicholls," says Bob.  "We talked about running and he told me he is an actor and I jumped on the opportunity for him to say a few words for our first video.

"I loved this race and I hope to return," says Bob.  "However for a race this size (over 19,000 runners) there is one thing they should change. They need more age-groups.  Making it to the podium is a big deal and for me right now at 71, 70 plus age-group is okay.  But for those 76, 88 or even 95 this age-group is too big. 

"We are all aging and we need all the encouragement we can get.  I am not even sure if they give out age-group awards or not (I have to check) but it is nice to make that top three."

The Running Is What We Do videos by My Best Runs will be showing all sides of the sport of running around the world.  "This series is not just about world-class races and elite runners but about all aspects of the sport we love, running."

If you have video footage you would like to share contact My Best Runs.

Speaking after winning the Vitality London 10km on Monday ahead of Andy Butchart, Farah admitted that, while he had wanted to defend his world 10,000m title in Doha, he had changed his mind because it was too close to the Chicago marathon.

“I would have loved to have won more medals for my country, as well as run Chicago, but the two events are only a week apart in October,” Farah said.

“If I did Doha how much would it take out of me for the marathon? At the marathon you can’t give these guys an inch. If you are not on your A game, you will get beat.” Asked if it meant that his track dream was now dead, he nodded. “I think so, at the minute.”

The 36-year-old has changed his mind before but he accepts it is increasingly unlikely he would return to the track given he last raced there in 2017. “Whenever I watch the 10,000m guys, I speak to my coach and ask: ‘Do you think I could do that? Because I think I could.’

But at the same time you have to be smart and you have to think about not just this year but the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.”

When asked directly if he was going to run the marathon in Tokyo he said: “At the minute, yeah. The strategy is to build up in the marathon. The more marathons I do, and the more experience I get, the better chance I have of a medal.”

Farah also denied that his extraordinary row with Haile Gebrselassie had affected his performance at the London marathon when he finished a disappointing fifth. “To be honest I am kind of sick of it in a minute but I stick by every word I said. It is the truth,” he said.

“As an athlete you’ve got to put your hand up when things go well and when they don’t. I felt great, it felt good. I was running 2:03 up to 35k, then shit hit the wall, bang, I was gone. From that point my last 7k was just ‘boom’. It won’t happen again.”

Sir Mo Farah and Steph Twell retained their British 10K road race titles at the Vitality London 10,000 this morning as thousands turned out to run through the sun-bathed streets of the British capital.

For Farah it was his seventh win in seven races on the famous central London course, while Twell took two seconds from her personal best to win the women’s crown for a second time just 24 hours after setting a world mile record for running hand-in-hand.

In the end Farah’s win was easy enough but the four-times Olympic champion was pushed hard by Rio Olympian Andy Butchart and former British Mile champion Nick Goolab before prevailing in 28:15.

“I really enjoyed it today,” said Farah, who was racing for the first time since finishing fifth in the Virgin Money London Marathon last month. “I love coming to London and particularly running on this course. It’s fantastic to win for a seventh time.

“The London Marathon is behind me now. I was a bit disappointed not to run quicker there but I have recovered well and was confident today.”

Goolab led the trio through halfway in 14:08 before he dropped back, but Butchart hung on until the last two kilometres, when Farah finally kicked away and put more than 100m between the pair.

“I knew Andy and Nick are both running well and I would have to keep my eyes on them,” said Farah. “We got rid of Nick, but Andy kept pushing and pushing and pushing.

“I thought, ‘When am I going to get rid of you?’ He did very well, but I was confident I could do it in the end. This is my race.”

Butchart may have failed to add to his victories here in 2016 and 2017, but the Scot was pleased enough to finish runner-up just 13 seconds behind, matching his personal best from 2016.

“I knew I would have to do the hard work,” said Butchart, who led for most of the first 5K. “But Mo was just chilling really. It’s really hard to lead a 10K and get away from someone like him.

“I wanted a good run and got that. It was only in the last 2K that he pulled away and I’m pleased to equal by PB. It shows I’m ready to run fast in the track.”

As for Twell, she set off at a pelt in the women’s race, running with a small group of male club runners as she established an unassailable lead that grew with every step.

On Sunday she and husband Joe Morwood had smashed the Guinness World Record for the fastest road mile holding hands, but that effort did little to dent her 10K title defence.

Twell passed halfway in 15:33 and eventually won by nearly 40 seconds from Stockport’s Jess Piasecki with Verity Ockenden of Swansea taking third.

“This is a great course and a great event,” said the two-time Olympian who stopped the clock at 31:55. “A personal best and a world record in one weekend can’t be bad.

“My legs were fine after yesterday, but I think I felt it in my arms a bit. The bigger races always bring out the best in me, and this is one of the biggest and the best.

“Today was London in its full glory and the crowds were fantastic. I’m just delighted.”

The unheralded Piasecki was also pleased as she clinched the runner-up spot in her best time of 32:33, while Ockenden also took some well-known scalps from a race loaded with internationals as she pinched the last podium place in 32:39, a PB for her by nearly two minutes.

“I saw Steph go off and I knew that was too fast for me,” said Piasecki. “But I ran quite within myself until the last kilometre. That was tough but it was worth it to finish second.”

As an aside,  My Best Runs publisher and founder Bob Anderson placed third in the 70 plus division clocking 49:22.  “What a great event,” says Bob.  “This is for sure a Bucket List race.  It may only be 10k but it is worth traveling too.  Congrats to Mo and Steph, the winners today.”  (Third photo) Bob with Barrie Nicholls (65-year-old runner/actor from London) at the finish line. 

Multiple European champion Laura Muir leads the entrants in a star-studded elite women’s field in the Vitality Westminster Mile.

Defending champion Melissa Courtney, the Commonwealth Games 1500m bronze medallist, is back again as is 2017 champion Adelle Tracey.

European Indoor Championships 800m gold medallist Shelayna Oskan-Clarke will make her debut in the event while Sarah McDonald, who won the Vitality Westminster Mile in 2016 and was runner-up a year later, returns to the streets of central London.

The Vitality London 10000 takes place on Monday 27 May – the day after the Vitality Westminster Mile where Laura Muir will be starting a summer season which she hopes will end in glory at the World Championships in Doha.

The Vitality Westminster Mile is the world’s biggest timed mile event with races for all ages and abilities, from families to adults, schools, wheelchairs, Masters and Olympians. The under-13, under-15, under-17, under-20 and senior races are also the British One Mile Road Championships.

Mo Farah will also be among the star attractions in the elite races at the Vitality London 10000 the next day. Both events are five-star certified events by European Athletics Running for All, on 26-27 May. The Vitality Westminster Mile is the world's biggest timed mile event.

The four-time Olympic champion finished fifth in the London Marathon on Sunday – three minutes and two seconds behind winner Eliud Kipchoge – as his road career hit a stumbling block.

Farah broke the European record at the Chicago Marathon last October, but was far from guaranteed a medal over 26.2 miles with 17 athletes running faster in the last 12 months.

He is set to defend his title at the Vitality London 10,000 race later in May, with the Briton thought to be considering the same distance for Doha 2019.

The three-time 10,000m world champion has previously spoken about missing the track.

"Having seen my fellow athletes, who I've competed against in the past, and watching the European Indoor Championships on TV, I was thinking 'Oh man! I want to get back out there'," Farah said in March.

"That's just me. If things are going well and I've got a chance to win a medal, then I'd love to come back and run for my country.

"Part of me when I watch track races I'm like, 'can I still do it? I want to do it'. I do miss the track."

British Athletics announced that the men's line-up in Doha will consist of Callum Hawkins and Dewi Griffiths, with Charlotte Purdue and Tish Jones going in the women's' race.

Sir Mo Farah is set to return to the Vitality London 10,000 hoping to defend his British 10K title on the spectacular course, which starts on The Mall and finishes in front of Buckingham Palace.

This will be Farah's seventh appearance at London’s top rated 10K. He has an unbeaten record with wins from 2009 to 2013 inclusive plus 2018. He set the course record (27:44) in 2010 and was exactly two minutes slower in his latest victory.  

Last year there were 14,475 finishers and this is expected to increase to a record 17,000 for next month's race that passes iconic London landmarks such as Admiralty Arch, Nelson’s Column, St Paul’s Cathedral, Mansion House, Bank of England, Old Bailey, Somerset House, Big Ben, Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey. 

“I really enjoy running the 10k distance and look forward to returning to the Vitality London 10,000 again this year," says Mo Farah. 

"The course is spectacular and the London crowds are fantastic, lining the streets and cheering everyone the whole way round”.

The women's race could well be more exciting than the men's event as so many of our female athletes are currently in superb form at the distance. Last year's winner and British champion was Steph Twell (Aldershot, Farnham & District) in 32:34 but she recently improved her best to 31:57 in taking the Brighton Marathon 10K.

BBC presenter Deborah James, aka the Bowel Babe, has revealed that she won't stop running despite having stage 4 bowel cancer - because it proves she's "not dead yet." 

The 37-year-old, from London, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2016 and has undergone countless rounds of gruelling treatment and operations, says she even got out her running shoes just before an operation despite being "nil by mouth" and gagging for water to "feel alive." 

Stripping down to her underwear as part of a new campaign to encourage others to get active and raise money for charity, the deputy head, who's taking part in the Vitality London 10k on May 27th, says she hopes others will see "If I can do it, so can they."  

She told her 61,000 followers: "I run (when my dodgy ankle allows!) because it makes me feel alive. 

"I have even run to have an operation (it’s the whole “not dead yet mentality!”), although that was a bit silly when you are nil by mouth and gagging for water!' James wrote on Instagram.

She added, "You know I have really rubbish days when I don’t want to do anything, but in the days I feel well I try to get my trainers on and do what my body allows me to do - then I push it a bit more and hope I don’t break my ankle again! If I can do it when I have stage four cancer, then anyone can do it!'

British runner Jo Pavey is targeting a record-equalling sixth Olympic Games next year, when she will be 46.

That would match javelin thrower Tessa Sanderson's six Olympic appearances by a British track and field athlete.

Pavey was the oldest woman to win a European Championships gold when claiming the 10,000m title in 2014 aged 40, just 11 months after giving birth.

"I forget how old I am. I'm not complacent but I will attempt to make my sixth Olympics," she told BBC Sport.

Pavey made her first Olympic appearance at Sydney in 2000, has qualified for the British team at every Games since, and now wants to earn a place on the British team for Tokyo 2020.

"I need to get a good qualifying time this year, and really want to start racing in early spring, but I enjoy the challenge," she said.

"It's a difficult task, I'm totally aware of that, but something that's fun to try. I love the ups and downs of the journey."

The mother-of-two hopes to win a place in the 10,000m at the 2019 World Championships in Doha in September en route to going for the Games in Japan.

She entered the 2017 London Marathon with a view to qualifying for the marathon at that year's World Championships in London but had to drop out at 16 miles and then saw her bid to qualify at 10,000m ended by injury.

In 2018, she finished third at the Vitality London 10,000 behind fellow Briton Steph Twell.

Great Britain’s Olympic legend Sir Mo Farah won the biggest ever Vitality London 10,000 today, while Steph Twell took her first victory in the women’s race. Farah treated the enthusiastic London crowds, who had turned out in the thousands to watch the race.  Mo outsprinted young British runners Richard Allen (29:48) and Matthew Sharp (29:50) in the final 500m to take his sixth Vitality London 10,000 victory, and the British road 10k title, on his first appearance at the race since 2013. Twell also dominated in the women’s race, finishing in 32:34, almost half a minute ahead of Gemma Steel (33:00), while 2017 champion Jo Pavey completed the podium with her third-place finish in a time of 33:12.  Vitality ambassadors Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and Lord Sebastian Coe set the masses on their way as more than 14,000 runners crossed the starting line on The Mall to make this the biggest Vitality London 10,000 in 11 editions.  As they headed along The Mall and through Admiralty Arch in bright sunshine, Farah looked supremely comfortable as a group of six runners – which included Richard Allen, Jonathan Mellor, Mohamud Aadan, Matthew Sharp and Abdulle Abdishakur – ticked off the first few kilometers of the race. But once the group had passed the halfway point, just after the Bank of England, Farah started to increase the pace and dropping first one then two runners to reduce group to four, then to three, until Allen and Sharp were the only two men able to stay with the four-time Olympic gold medallist. With 800m to go, Farah moved up a gear to move into the lead, making the final turn into Spur Road and on to the Finish Line alone, to the delight of the crowds who had turned out in huge numbers to cheer their hero to victory in 29:44. “The pace was nice and comfortable and I really enjoyed the race,” Farah said afterwards. “I was happy with the win, which is the most important thing, but it was nice to be able to run alongside club runners who look up to you. “It’s good to forget about who you are – and what you have achieved – and just enjoy the moment, which is what I did out there.

Lily Partridge, who ran a personal best 2:29:44 to finish eighth overall and first British woman at the Virgin Money London Marathon in April, is set to get back to racing at the Vitality London 10000 on May 28. The 27-year-old will not be the only British marathon champion competing, with Mo Farah already confirmed for the last Monday of May bank holiday race. Partridge’s, who clocked her 10k PB of 33:27 at the 2016 event, will face Aldershot, Farnham and District club-mate Steph Twell before looking ahead to the Berlin hosted European Championships in August. “The Vitality London 10000 is great because it does bring together a range of athletes,” said Partridge. “Some people like Steph come into it in track shape and it can be fast and then there are us girls who come into it off the back of a marathon and we have to ease ourselves into it a bit more.

Callum Hawkins will make his first return to racing , since collapsing while leading the Commonwealth Games marathon, at the Vitality London 0,000 on Monday, May 28. The Scottish star will once again compete against Mo Farah in the men’s race, while Chris Thompson also joins them on the start-line. Hawkins, 25, was on course for victory at the Commonwealth Games marathon on the Gold Coast, Australia, last month when, overcome by the heat, he lost control of his body and fell over just two kilometres from the finish. The Australian Michael Shelley came through to win the race and Hawkins was taken away to receive medical treatment. The Kilbarchan AC athlete continues to recover and has returned to training in his home city of Glasgow ahead of his competitive return to action at the Vitality London 10,000 on Bank Holiday Monday. “I feel a lot better now I have had some rest since returning from Australia and I’m looking forward to getting out there and competing again,” said Hawkins. “It has been a few years since I ran a 10k on British roads and it will be a good race to see where I am at in order to kick-start my summer.

Lily Partridge, who ran a personal best 2:29:44 to finish eighth overall and first British woman at the Virgin Money London Marathon in April, is set to get back to racing at the Vitality London 10000 on May 28. The 27-year-old will not be the only British marathon champion competing, with Mo Farah already confirmed for the last Monday of May bank holiday race. Partridge’s, who clocked her 10k PB of 33:27 at the 2016 event, will face Aldershot, Farnham and District club-mate Steph Twell before looking ahead to the Berlin hosted European Championships in August. “The Vitality London 10000 is great because it does bring together a range of athletes,” said Partridge. “Some people like Steph come into it in track shape and it can be fast and then there are us girls who come into it off the back of a marathon and we have to ease ourselves into it a bit more.  The Vitality London 10,000 starts and finishes in St James’s Park and uses Green Park as its assembly area. The race starts on The Mall and finishes on Spur Road opposite Buckingham Palace. Runners follow a clockwise route around the City of Westminster and the City of London. The course passes many of London’s famous sights including Admiralty Arch, Nelson’s Column, St Paul’s Cathedral, Mansion House, the Bank of England, the Old Bailey, Somerset House, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Abbey.  The race also features the British 10K Championships Men and Women.

Following the London Marathon, Mo Farah will race in the 2018 Vitality London 10000 on Monday May 28. The multiple Olympic and world champion last ran in the Vitality London 10000 in 2013 and has competed in the event on five occasions, winning in 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013, finishing runner-up in the first edition of the race in 2008. “It has been a while since I last raced the Vitality London 10000 and I’m looking forward to returning again this year,” said Farah. “I have got many happy memories of the race and of the course which is a spectacular one and one that I’ve been able to run fast on in the past. “The race has always been a preparation for the track season in the past while this year I will have run the Virgin Money London Marathon just five weeks before so it will be a bit different but I am looking forward to it. As I always say, running in my home town is always special.” The 35-year-old set the 10km course record of 27:44, which is also his road personal best, in 2010 when he beat the Kenyan Micah Kogo by five seconds.