Farah edges Mokoka in Bupa Great South Run in Portsmouth
Somali-born British distance runner, Mohammed "Mo" Farah, came from behind to score a spectacular victory over South Africa's Stephen Mokoka at the Bupa Great South Run 2009 in Portsmouth on Sunday.
Farah in the best ever finish to the 10 miles race recovered to win ahead of Stephen Mokoka, winner of the 2009 Bupa Great North Run Sunderland 10K, by a second in a time of 46 minutes 25 seconds with Kenya's Luke Kibet the 2007 champion third in 47min 16sec.
The 26-year-old, London-based athlete in his first serious race over the distance on the flat and fast south coast course seemed to have blown his chances when the Africa pair opened a 25 yards gap just two miles into the race.
The South African and Kenyan slightly extended it with Mokoka who posted a national best performance, dropping his Kenyan rival just before eight miles which prompted a revival of Farah's own fortunes.
Farah believing in his own pre-race tactics and seeing Kibet back in his sight, quickly tracked down the former world marathon record holder and then with just over a mile to run came level with Mokoka.
The pair fighting a tense battle and battered by a gale force wind blowing off the Solent fought a closely contested final mile which went to the wire in a pulsating finish.
Farah waited until 150m before making his final sprint for the line but Mokoka his country's number one refused to throw in the towel to guarantee a nailbiting finish before losing out by a stride.
"The boys didn't make it easy at all for me," Farah said after the very quick start with the wind at their backs.
"I think they wanted to get rid of me.
"Stephen went off and kept pushing and pushing and he and Luke opened a gap on me."
Despite falling behind, Farah the first Briton to win the GSR since Gary Staines scored his third and final victory in 1996, was always confident of his tactics.
"We went through 10km and I knew it was quite fast and knew it was going to be windy in the last couple of miles, I was thinking I must keep some energy because conditions weren't too easy," Farah said.
Farah now the UK's third fastest performer, insisted: "The crowd made a big difference for me, they kept cheering my name - it's a nice feeling particularly in those last two miles."
Ndereba beaten
Ines Monteiro took a leaf out of the book of fellow Portugese Jessica Augusto's winner of last month's Bupa Great North Run when spreadeagling the field to win the women's event.
The European Cross Country bronze medallist who trains with Augusto hit the front immediately and by two miles was 20 yards ahead of her much more fancied rivals including two-time world marathon champion Catherine Ndereba.
Monteiro's decision to run solo from the start despite the windy conditions paid dividends as she drew further and durther clear of a star studded field to post a national best mark of 52min 32sec.
"I spoke with Julia before coming here and I felt with many experienced runners in the race it would be the best way for me to win," said Monteiro.
Her confidence and determination eventually saw finish 26sec ahead of fellow countrywoman Ana Dulce Felix with Australian Benita Willis the 2004 winner, third in 54min 41sec.
Ndereba, who was fifth in 55min 28sec, said: "The wind totally destroyed me and blew me all over the place from start to finish. But this is a great race and I tried my hardest."
Full Results
Men
1, M Farah (GB) 46:25
2, S Mokoka (South Africa) 46:26
3, L Kibet (Kenya) 47:16
4, S Overall (GB) 48:00
5, M Geele (Somalia) 48:00
6, M Fagan (Ireland) 48:26
7, P Wicks (GB) 48:38
8, H Ferreira (Portugal) 48:50
9, C Thompson (GB) 49:10
10, L Merrien (GB) 49:234
Women
1, I Monteiro (Portugal) 52:32
2, A-D Felix (Portugal) 53:58
3, B Willis (Australia) 54:41
4, R Kalmer (South Africa) 55:11
5, C Ndereba (Kenya) 55:28
6, M Sig Moller (Denmark) 55:36
7, C Hallissey (GB) 55:46
8, F Fullerton (GB) 56:28
9, K Wootton (GB) 57:16
10, F Clark (GB) 58:12
