Mo Farah – Great North Run | Artisan Beaded Bracelets

The 36-year-old British Olympic legend crossed the finish line in Newcastle, with an outstanding time of 59 minutes and 6 seconds. This year saw 50,000 contenders take part in the Great North Run, raising millions of pounds for local, national and international charities.

As the glorious, early autumnal sun shone down, Farah remained appeased in amongst seven other athletes leading the race. In much of the track's early stages, Farah seemed comfortable alongside his training partner, Bashir Abdi. However, as the race approached the halfway line, determination kicked in when rival Tamirat Tola closed in on the Olympian, making him work for the title.

Meanwhile, in the women's elite, London marathon winner Brigid Kosgei was also in line heading for a new course record and a world best record time. As she crossed the line, she held the title of the quickest ever half marathon in the world, with barely any breath left to catch. As she searched around to find her opponents, she was stunned to see everyone was quite a long way behind as she had run phenomenally fast. Running alone, Brigid was able to concentrate on running very, very fast, in reach of that world record title.

At this point in the race, Farah's training partner was dropped. This did not benefit the Olympian as he wanted Bashir Abdi beside him so that the pair could work together. In the days leading up to the Great North Run, Sir Mo would have recognised Tolas name as danger when preparing for the race. As the race continued, Farah realised that Tola is in great shape and is a worthy opponent. Farah seemed to be put under a little bit of pressure by Tola, as the gap between the rivals really opened up. Farah, losing his training partner, saw him struggle a little. But, as ever, the champion did not panic. However, this didn't stir the British Olympian as he was confident that he could close that gap very quickly. Farah knows when to put the effort in and knows when he needs to be patient.

Progressing on, the athletes gave it everything they have to push onwards in the final mile. Settling down with inconsistency in the pace, there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing between the lead. Side by side, it seemed that Tola had given up trying to forge ahead as the pair ran alongside each other. Both athletes were on the path to setting a new personal best, while they expanded the gap back to rival Calum Hawkins.

Running strongly, Tola appeared to be forcing issues as the pair pushed on, trying to drive Farah through tricky sections of the race. It was clear to see Tola testing Farah a little by putting in a few pace surges to see his opponent's response. Each time Tola increased his speed, he would give occasional glimpses behind to see whether his rival made any response. Farah was looking a bit heavy-legged at this point, missing his usual spring and bounce. Tola gained a 2.3-second lead, with Farah starting to look somewhat tired behind. However, Farah knew that the 800m drop down towards the finish line would benefit his position, along with the immense support and encouragement from the crowd to help him.

Doing his best to try and hang on, Farah knew that he must work hard to maintain the gap at a distance that he could quickly come back from. Tola was looking strong and started dropping his arms, trying to relax through the next sections. Sir Mo was taking this as a sign he can still chase him down as the pair approached the finish line. The excellent news for Farah is that the lead wasn't getting any bigger and Tola began slowly working his way back. Consistent glances from Tola behind him only fed Farah's energy. The Olympian was far from broken yet, keeping his eyes forward and growing on those glances as a sign of weakness from Tola. As the pair passed the 12-mile marker, there was just over a mile to go with opponent Callum Hawkins still charging behind in 3rd place.

As the athletes approached the drop down towards the seafront, the race for the title was on. This is what Farah is good at, he has that kind of stride that is almost an art form, it is indeed a skill. He was hanging on a little bit, but now was his moment to take the lead. Farah hit the front and makes an impressive gap, maintaining an edge that is ever extending. The victorious sight was welcomed hugely by the enormous crowd, cheering on the champion who was heading for his sixth victory. Farah had to work hard for this, but sometimes a test before the Chicago Marathon is needed. Farah will be hoping he can win in Chicago in October 2019, as he did back in 2018.

Approaching the final stretch, Farah lead by around 20-30m. This didn't mean he could relax; he was going to have to keep working hard at this point. Mo Farrah was triumphant in his 59th minute, with one of the closest and most difficult victories of his career. He told BBC, "I've really enjoyed it but the past couple of years has been in the middle of marathon preparation. It was good to test myself."

We wish Sir Mo, the very best of luck with his next venture, The Chicago Marathon on October 2019, held every year in Illinois. Farah announced earlier this year that he would not compete in this year's world championships in Doha. Instead, he insists on defending his title at the Chicago Marathon. Show your support to Farah with these stunning Mo Farah beaded bracelet, produced to celebrate the British Olympian's success