Last weekend’s scintillating men’s Bupa Great North Run had viewers on the edge of their seats, but now we have the prospect of a rematch, over double the distance.
The mouthwatering line up initially included Mo Farah, Kenenisa Bekele and Haile Gebrselassie, but in the end it was Farah and Bekele that had everyone talking.
Bekele made a decisive move down the steep decline before reaching the seafront, but Farah’s valiant come back in the final 400 metres produced one of the best finishes the event has ever seen.
The Briton’s intentions to run next years London Marathon has been known for months. The 30-year-old ran half the race in April in preparation for the full distance in 2014.
On Sunday though, Bekele’s intent to compete in London came to light, too. The Ethiopian athlete expressed his interest, and providing organisers invited him, insisted he would be there.
Both athletes would be debuting at the distance in London, but Bekele’s manager, Jos Hermens, claimed the Ethiopian could do something special: “In London, if he is fit, he could break the world record in his first marathon. That’s how talented he is.”
Farah spoke of their newly emerged road rivalry: “He’s stepping up to the road and still competing on the track, like me; definitely, it could tee up a great rivalry.
“It’s what athletics is all about, not one person should be dominating. This is what the sport needs.”
Farah, the double World and Olympic champion, only started training for the distance after Moscow, whereas Bekele did not appear on the track much this season, and made it known he had been training hard for Sunday’s race.
The London Marathon has been on Farah’s schedule for a long time now though, and with full preparation on both parts, a truly incredible race already looks in place.
After his defeat to Bekele last Sunday, the Briton will be eager to reclaim bragging rights, but as he said himself, the Ethiopian is a force to reckoned with.
“Of course, you are always disappointed when you lose a race, especially on home territory, but Kenenisa is a great athlete,” Farah said.
Unusually, Bekele has been out of the limelight as of late due to three years tainted by injuries, but in Newcastle, he showed he still owns the prowess he is renowned for.
The 31-year-old has an unbelievable record to his name, one that should not be overshadowed by Farah’s domination in the last couple of years.
Bekele took over Gebrselassie’s distance running dominance in fine style, with three Olympic gold medals, five World Championship golds and a magnificent 11 World Cross Country titles to his name. Not to forget of course, the world records for both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres.
The magnitude of these two athletes gears up for an incredibly exciting marathon next April. How fast they can go, and who will win though, will remain a mystery until then.
