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Farah feeling good
European silver medallist is quietly confident ahead of his 10,000m track debut
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MO FARAH will kick-start his outdoor track campaign this weekend when he makes his highly-anticipated 10,000m debut at the Cardinal Invitational at Stanford University.
The 2006 European cross-country champion has chosen one of the most competitive 25-lap races around, but Farah is feeling confident after a strong spell of training since his last race, the Carlsbad road 5km in California.
"Training has been going great," Farah told Athletics Weekly. "I have been at altitude in Flagstaff for the past month with 26:35 10k runner Micah Kogo and 12:55 5k runner Boniface Songok. We have done some very good training since Carlsbad."
"I wanted to build a good endurance base over the winter," added Farah, who finished sixth and top European in the 3000m final at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in March. "This 10,000m race gave me a target to train for and a test to check where my endurance is at right now."
Farah has no specific time goal for his race on May 4, but he will be keen to put in a winning performance after finishing a close second in the Carlsbad 5km. "I want to get out there and have a good solid run," said Farah, who will be up against the likes of European champion Jan Fitschen, Australia's Craig Mottram and Ireland's Alistair Cragg. Fellow Briton Andrew Lemoncello is also set to compete, while Kathy Butler and Kate Reed go in the women's 10,000m.
"I don't think the race is stacked at the front this year," he added. "We will set off at 27:30 pace and see how it goes, but the best guys in the world are running around 26:30-27:00 - that is where it is at."
Farah will have one eye on the UK record of 27:18.14 set 10 years ago by Jon Brown. Farah's best time for a road 10km is 28:08, which is just three seconds off Brown's PB for the same event.
"This race is not set up for a record attempt, but I'll see how I feel at halfway and if I feel good I might push on over the final few kilometers," said Farah. "It would be nice to break the British record, but this year is all about the Olympics and preparing well for it. Maybe I will have a shot at the British record next year."
But even if Farah runs comfortably inside the Olympic 10,000m 'A' standard of 27:50, Farah's heart is already set on the 5000m for Beijing - the distance at which he is the European silver medallist and placed sixth at last year's IAAF World Championships.
"I do not plan to run the 10,000m in the 2008 Olympic Games," said Farah, whose next race after this weekend will be the Bupa London 10,000 on May 26. "But maybe in 2012."
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