Having started 2017 by becoming the first British athlete to beat Mo Farah for seven years Callum Hawkins is set to get another crack at the double double Olympic champion in London next year.
Britain’s two fastest half marathon runners of all time have agreed to run in The Big Half, a brand new event taking place in March and the 25-year-old Scot is relishing the prospect.
“I am really looking forward to The Big Half now I know I will get the chance to race Mo again,” he said.
“I’ve made no secret of the fact that I love testing myself against the very best athletes in the world and they don’t come any better than Mo.”
Hawkins, who left Farah trailing as he set the pace at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country in January, recently denied Laura Muir a hat-trick of successive Scottish Athlete of the Year Awards when his exceptional performance in finishing fourth in the marathon at the World Championships in August earned him this year’s prize and he is excited about the prospect of racing in the capital again.
“Racing in London is always so special,” he said.
“The crowds are amazing and it has brought the best out of me in the past. I qualified for the Rio Olympics at the 2016 Virgin Money London Marathon which was really my breakthrough race and then finished fourth in the marathon at the 2017 London World Championships. So I’m always confident when racing in the capital and I’m hoping I can enjoy more success in March.”
Farah’s set his UK half marathon record of 59 minutes 32 seconds in March 2015 while Hawkins ran a Scottish personal best of 60:00 in Japan in February and this race could see the start of a fascinating rivalry for supremacy which could take British road racing to new heights.
“I am thrilled to be part of The Big Half. It will be an ideal preparation race for me for the London Marathon six weeks later. Everyone knows I love running on the streets of London and I look forward to this new event,” said Farah, who announced his retirement from track competition after London 2017.
“It’s fantastic for British Athletics that we now have a new generation of runners, like Callum, coming through who are able to compete at the top end of world-class races. I hope my achievements over the years has shown them what is possible.”
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