News01 May 2015


Farah to be tested over 1500m in Birmingham – IAAF Diamond League

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Mo Farah sets a European two miles best at the 2014 IAAF Diamond League meeting in Birmingham (© Jena-Pierre Durand)

Double world, Olympic and European champion Mo Farah will compete over 1500m at the Sainsbury’s Birmingham Grand Prix on 7 June, the fifth IAAF Diamond League meeting of 2015.

Farah, who has won 5000m and 10,000m gold at the Olympics, World Championships and European Championships, will step down to 1500m for the first time since breaking the European record with a time of 3:28.81 at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco two years ago.

The 32-year-old will face a stern test against a world-class field but is unbeaten at the Alexander Stadium for seven years and set a world indoor best of 8:03.40 for two miles earlier this year in the same city.

“The World Championships in Beijing is the main aim for this year,” said Farah. “But it will be good to step down to 1500m and test myself over a shorter distance. Some of the best middle-distance runners in the world will be in the field so I will have to be at my best to compete with them.”

Farah has been victorious in each of the past four years of the Sainsbury’s Birmingham Grand Prix and believes that the Midlands crowd have played a big part in that.

“I always enjoy running in Birmingham,” he added. “The crowd really get behind the athletes and create a good atmosphere.”

Organisers for the IAAF

Sign up for the 2015 Fantasy Diamond Race

2015 IAAF Diamond League calendar
Doha, QAT – 15 May
Shanghai, CHN – 17 May
Eugene, USA – 30 May
Rome, ITA – 4 June
Birmingham, GBR – 7 June
Oslo, NOR – 11 June
New York, USA – 13 June
Paris, FRA – 4 July
Lausanne, SUI – 9 July
Monaco, MON – 17 July
London, GBR – 24-25 July
Stockholm, SWE – 30 July
Zurich, SUI – 3 September
Brussels, BEL – 11 September