Mo Farah: when is his last race, is he running Big Half in London, has he won a marathon and is he retiring?

Sir Mo Farah is preparing for an “emotional” final race in London this weekend as he takes on the Big Half on Sunday (3 September).

The 40-year-old four-time Olympic gold medal winner will race for the last time in London, after announcing he was retiring in April 2023. The last time Farah competed was at the 2023 London Marathon, where he finished ninth, in two hours, 10 minutes and 28 seconds.

He has described his final London race as “emotional” describing the city of London as one of a kind to him. He won his first Olympic gold in the London 2012 Olympics in the 10,000m.

So, when is Mo Farah’s last race and what has he said about the London Big Half, here’s everything you need to know.

When is Mo Farah’s last race?

Farah’s last race will be the Great North Run which will take place on Sunday 10 September.

Is Mo Farah running London Big Half 2023?

Farah will be completing his final run in London at The Big Half on Sunday, 3 September. The last time he competed was at the 2023 London Marathon, where he finished ninth. He has described his final London race as “emotional” describing the city of London as one of a kind to him.

Farah said: “There’s no other city like London in the whole world and I’ve had some memorable times here. Super Saturday, that night in the Olympic Stadium in 2012, when I won the first of my Olympic gold medals in the 10,000m, is something that I will never ever forget.

“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.

“Since then, I’ve gone on to run the London Marathon many times, The Big Half, the Vitality London 10,000. I must have done more than 20 races on the roads of London and I will miss it.

“The Big Half on Sunday is going to be emotional and a chance for me to say goodbye to everyone in London who has supported me throughout my career because I’ve been very grateful for that support.”

How many times has Mo Farah won The Big Half?

Farah has won The Big Half three times, but will face tough competition for his final race in London. Reported by PA he said: “I have won The Big Half three times and it’s a special race, not just for the elite athletes, but for the whole of the running community and that is what this city is all about.

“It’s a bit of a weird feeling knowing it’s going to be my last race in London. I’ve never had that to think about before. There’s always been a ‘next year’ but not this time. There is a lot of stuff going through my mind (about what I do when I retire). But the most important thing is staying healthy.

“I can’t see myself just being in the house and keeping still. I need to find something that I can enjoy and look forward to, be involved in sport somehow because that is all I know.”

Has Mo Farah won a marathon?

Mo Farah won the Chicago Marathon in 2018 with a time of 2 hours 5 minutes and 11 seconds, setting a European record and making him the first British athlete to win it in 22 years.

When is Mo Farah retiring?

Farah will race in London for the last time on Sunday (3 September), but is not retiring until the Great North Run in Newcastle Upon Tyne which will take place on 10 September.

Why is Mo Farah retiring?

The 2012 and 2016 Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m champion announced he was retiring in April to spend time with his family.

He said: “The Great North Run is going to be my last-ever run and that will be the end of my career. That will be my final race.

“I won’t be competing in any track races. The track is done. I’ll just do a couple more races on the road and wave to the crowd. It’s the right decision and hopefully I’ll get to spend time with my family while continuing to be involved with the sport.”

Who is Mo Farah’s wife?

Farah met his wife, Tania Nell when the pair were at school in Feltham, west London. They lived close by each other in Hounslow and attended the same athletic club, where Tania was a sprinter. He gathered the courage to ask her out when he was 18, but Tania turned him down. It wasn’t until eight years later when the pair reconnected on Facebook that their romantic relationship started to grow.

The couple married in Richmond on April 3, 2010 and have four children together: twins Aisha and Amani, born in 2012, son Hussein, born in 2015, and an older daughter, Rihanna, from Nell’s previous relationship.

What is Mo Farah’s real name?

Farah was born in Somalia and in 2022 he revealed that he had been trafficked from from Djibouti to London under the name of another child and that his real name was Hussein Abdi Kahin. After he became a British citizen he adopted the name Mo Farah.

He came to the UK when he was 9 years old and was forced into child labour. Farah revealed his story in a BBC documentary in 2022. At the time he explained the main reason behind telling his story was because he wanted to “feel normal” and that he didn’t want to feel like he was “holding on to something”.

Following the announcement of the documentary, Sir Mo took to X, formerly known as Twitter, where he shared with his followers: “Through this documentary I have been able to address and learn more about what happened in my childhood and how I came to the UK.”

Where can I watch the Mo Farah documentary?

The Real Mo Farah documentary is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.