Mo Farah: I might return to track for 2020 Olympics

Mo Farah has suggested he may make a surprise return to the track in an effort to win Olympic 10,000m gold at Tokyo 2020.

Farah announced his retirement from track running at the end of 2017 and has since focused solely on road competition. He broke the European record on his most recent outing when winning the Chicago Marathon last month.

On Tuesday morning he confirmed his participation in next April’s London Marathon, but says his long-term plans remain unclear and he could yet return to the track for one final tilt at a fifth Olympic title in 2020, when he would be 37.

Every one of Farah’s 12 global medals have come over 5,000m or 10,000m and he believes he is still capable of beating the best.

“Part of me, when I watched the European Championships [this summer in Berlin] and the great [track] performances, did I think had I been there would I have won a medal? Yes,” said Farah.

“When I was training on the track for Chicago I was putting in great sessions. We had a little chat saying, 'Mate, I've still got it'. And I still have. That's the important thing.

“It all depends if I come away from the London Marathon, win the London Marathon, beat some great fields, it might feel different. It's nice to have both options where I can still do the track and do the marathon.”

Last month, Farah’s coach Gary Lough raised the possibility of the four-time Olympic champion dipping his toes back into track running at the 2019 World Championships. Farah says that remains an option.

“It’s a possible to do the 10,000m,” he said. “I was honest and said I was done with the track and I was.

“But I look at my team-mates and who I was competing against and part of me missed it.

“I feel like I can still win medals and do as well as I have over the years. If there was a chance to compete I wouldn’t turn down a medal.

“It gives me a great option. I’m not sure what I’ll do, I’ll do the London Marathon in April, get that out of the way and then look at the Worlds – the 10,000m or the marathon.”

Asked outright whether he could race over 10,000m at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, he replied: “Yes, there is a chance. There is always a chance if everything is going well.”

One crucial factor in Farah’s decision could be whether he stands a greater chance of winning an Olympic title over 10,000m or the marathon, with Kenya’s Eliud Kipchoge smashing the world record over the longer distance in Berlin this autumn.

Kipchoge’s time of two hours, one minute and 39 seconds shattered the previous record by 78 seconds and puts him almost four minutes ahead of Farah’s personal best set last month. But Farah insists he will not shy away from the Kenyan.

“If you're in a boxing match, who do you want to box? Mike Tyson or Anthony Joshua or whoever is the best,” said Farah. “If it means taking on Eliud then I will do.”

London Marathon organisers are in negotiations to bring Kipchoge to the capital next spring and Farah says he would welcome the competition.

“It would be nice to race against Eliud – he can be beaten,” he said. “Can anyone else beat him? I don’t think there’s anyone who can beat him at the minute. Do I need to up my game and improve to win more raced? I most probably need to do that.

“In order to learn and know what he does so well I need to race him more. He is far ahead of everyone else and his record is incredible. He’s a great athlete. I want to race against him.

“I can beat him at some point. Will it be in London 2019? I don’t know. Will it be World Championships? I don’t know. I’ll keep racing until Tokyo 2020 and learn to make mistakes, learn to win races. That’s what I need to do.”