Misplaced Pages

Mo Farah

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
#141858

139-491: Sir Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah (born Hussein Abdi Kahin ; 23 March 1983) is a Somali-British former long-distance runner . Considered one of the greatest runners of all time, his ten global championship gold medals (four Olympic and six World titles) make him the most successful male track distance runner in the history of the sport, and he is the most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games history. Farah

278-648: A Special Gold Award in 2005 for his work in helping Britain obtain the right to host the 2012 Olympics . Five awards have been presented once: Manager of the Year in 1969, a Special Team Award in 1986, Good Sport Awards in 1990, an International Team Award in 1983, and the Sports Personality of the Century Award in 1999. In 2003, to celebrate fifty years of Sports Personality of the Year, two special anniversary awards were created to recognise

417-565: A BBC service had been sponsored." They decided that the 2008 awards should not be broadcast as a sponsored event, and no new sponsorship deal was negotiated after the Britvic deal expired. In February 2008 , the BBC announced that the 2008 Sports Personality of the Year event would be held at the Echo Arena , Liverpool . One reason for the move to Liverpool was to allow greater numbers to view

556-695: A British half marathon. He won the race with a personal best time of 1:00:00, exactly 1 hour. On 21 February 2015, Farah broke the indoor two-mile world record at the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix . He ran an 8:03.4 to break Kenenisa Bekele 's record. On 22 March, Farah broke the European record for half marathon in Lisbon . He ran a time of 59 minutes, 32 seconds, surpassing the record set 14 years previously by Spain's Fabián Roncero . He repeated his long-distance gold medal double at

695-406: A Special Award for raising awareness of and fundraising for motor neurone disease . As part of the 50th Anniversary of BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2003, two additional awards were presented. In the lead up to the anniversary show on 14 December 2003, a series of five half-hour special programmes, entitled Simply The Best – Sports Personality , were broadcast. Hosted by Gary Lineker ,

834-465: A feat described as the 'quadruple-double'. After finishing second in the 10,000 metres at the 2011 World Championships , Farah had an unbroken streak of ten global final wins (the 5,000m in 2011, the double in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016, and the 10,000m in 2017). The streak ended in Farah's final championship track race, when he finished second to Ethiopia's Muktar Edris in the 2017 5,000 metres final. On

973-504: A further three regular awards: Coach of the Year , Newcomer of the Year , and a Helen Rollason Award for "outstanding courage and achievement in the face of adversity". In a one-off award, boxer Muhammad Ali was voted as the Sports Personality of the Century . On 1 November 2003, BBC Books published "BBC Sports Personality of the Year 50th Anniversary" ( ISBN   0-563-48747-X ), written by Steve Rider and Martyn Smith, to mark

1112-429: A group of Kenyan runners that included 10,000 m world number one Micah Kogo . "They sleep, eat, train and rest, that's all they do but as an athlete you have to do all those things. Running with Craig made me feel more positive," Farah said. "If I ever want to be as good as these athletes I've got to work harder. I don't just want to be British number one, I want to be up there with the best." In July 2006, Farah recorded

1251-540: A historic method for hunting among the San of the Kalahari , American Indians , and Aboriginal Australians . In this method, the hunter would run at a slow and steady pace for between one hour and a few days, in an area where the animal has no place to hide. The animal, running in spurts, has to stop to pant to cool itself, but as the chase goes on it would not have enough time before it has to start running again, and after

1390-828: A host venue during the Commonwealth Games earlier in the year. In 2015 , the ceremony was held in Northern Ireland for the first time, at the SSE Arena in Belfast, on 20 December. The event returned to Birmingham and Liverpool in 2016 and 2017 respectively. The 2018 ceremony took place in Birmingham, marking the city's fifth time hosting the event (3rd time at the same venue). In 2018 the BBC Overseas Sports Personality of

1529-662: A knighthood for Mo Farah. On 19 July 2013, at the Herculis meeting in Monaco, Farah broke the European 1500 m record with a time of 3:28.81. The feat meant that he was the sixth fastest man ever over the distance, overtaking Steve Cram 's 28-year-old British record and Fermín Cacho's 16-year-old European record. It also made Farah the seventh man, behind Saïd Aouita , Daniel Komen , Ali Saïdi-Sief , Hicham El Guerrouj , Augustine Kiprono Choge and Bernard Lagat to break both

SECTION 10

#1732794396142

1668-686: A male British distance runner for a generation". Farah attributed his good form to a spell of winter training at altitude in Ethiopia and Kenya. In March 2009 he took gold in the 3000 m at the European Indoor Championships in Turin, recording a time of 7 minutes 40.17. Farah competed at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics : he was in the leading pack early on in the 5000 metres race and eventually finished seventh –

1807-410: A marathon runner's ability to sustain higher intensities for longer periods of time. The prolonged sustenance of running intensity is attributed to a high turnover rate of fatty acids that allows the runner to preserve glycogen stores later into the race. Long-distance runners generally practice carbohydrate loading in their training and race preparation. The maintenance of core body temperature

1946-734: A means to improve cardiovascular health. Endurance running is often a component of physical military training . Long-distance running as a form of tradition or ceremony is known among the Hopi and Tarahumara people , among others. In the sport of athletics , long-distance events are defined as races covering 3 km (1.9 mi) and above. The three most common types are track running , road running , and cross country running , all of which are defined by their terrain – all-weather tracks , roads, and natural terrain, respectively. Anthropological observations of modern hunter-gatherer communities have provided accounts for long-distance running as

2085-516: A more efficient and energy-saving stride pattern, especially in the longer distances. Farah runs distance races tactically, a style which is aided by his especially quick sprint finish . His tactics were described in Athletics Weekly : "(Farah) could run 24 strong laps of the track, which most of his East African rivals could match, before a blistering 400 metre sprint to the line, which none of them could." Born in present-day Somaliland ,

2224-442: A new Manager of the Year award was given to Don Revie for his achievements with Leeds United , the only occasion it was presented. In the following year boxer Henry Cooper became the first person to win the main award twice, having already won in 1967. During the 1970s Bough and Coleman presided over the ceremony alongside Jimmy Hill , Cliff Morgan , Kenneth Wolstenholme , and Harry Carpenter , who also went on to present

2363-623: A practice session for the Spanish Grand Prix —the injuries he received ended his Formula One career; Aitken-Walker and co-driver Thörner crashed off a cliff into a lake in Portugal when competing in the women's World Rally Championship, which they went on to win that year. In 1999, a one-off award voted for by the British public selected a Sports Personality of the Century. Muhammad Ali accumulated more votes from BBC viewers than

2502-425: A race, and the amount of hemoglobin in the blood. Other physiological factors affecting a marathon runner's aerobic capacity include pulmonary diffusion , mitochondria enzyme activity, and capillary density. A long-distance runner's running economy is their steady state requirement for oxygen at specific speeds and helps explain differences in performance for runners with very similar aerobic capacities. This

2641-459: A result of these factors, weather can play an integral role in racing conditions. Cross country is both an individual and team sport, as runners are judged on an individual basis and a points-scoring method is used for teams. Competitions are typically races of 4 km (2.5 mi) or more which are usually held in autumn and winter. Cross country's most successful athletes often compete in long-distance track and road events as well. The history of

2780-544: A special gala edition of Sportsview held at the Savoy Hotel on 30 December 1954. The show lasted 45 minutes and was presented by Peter Dimmock . The ceremony was combined with two other awards, the sportsman and sportswoman of the year, which were determined by votes through the Sporting Record newspaper. The newspaper had presented their sportsman of the year award since 1946, to which they later added

2919-610: A sportswoman of the year award. The award for the 1953 Sporting Record winners had been broadcast on BBC radio in April 1954. Voting for the BBC award was by postcard, and rules presented in a Radio Times article stipulated that nominations were restricted to athletes who had featured on the Sportsview programme since April. For the inaugural BBC Sportsperson of the Year award, 14,517 votes were cast and Christopher Chataway beat fellow athlete Roger Bannister . The following year

SECTION 20

#1732794396142

3058-615: A time of 13 minutes 9.40 seconds for 5000 m to become Britain's second-fastest runner after Dave Moorcroft . A month later, Farah won the silver medal in the European Championship 5000m in Gothenburg . Coaches Alan Storey and Mark Rowland made sure that Farah remained competitive and a few words from Paula Radcliffe before the 5000 m final inspired Farah. He has stated that: "She said to me, 'Go out and be brave. Just believe in yourself'." In December 2006, Farah won

3197-545: A time of 13:10.60, at the same time taking ten seconds off the 29-year-old British indoor record of Nick Rose . On 5 March 2011, he won gold in the 3000 metres at the European Indoor Championships . On 20 March, Farah also won the NYC Half Marathon in a time of 1:00:23, a new British record. He and training partner Galen Rupp had originally planned on running a 10,000 m race in New Zealand. However, after

3336-501: A time of 27:08.92. In the final lap Farah battled Paul Tanui , who took the lead with 300 metres remaining. Farah edged him out with 100 metres to go. Tanui finished in second place with a time of 27:05.64. On 20 August, Farah went on to win a second gold medal in the 5,000 metres at the Rio Olympics. Coming into the 31st Olympiad, Farah was trying to win gold medals in the 10,000 metres and 5,000 metres to double his success from

3475-620: A tooth removed. Farah later appeared in Zürich at the 2014 European Athletics Championships . He successfully defended his 5000 m title and won a gold in the 10,000 m, thus completing another major championship double. This made him the most successful individual in the history of the European Athletics Championships, with five titles to his name. On 7 September 2014, Farah competed in the Great North Run ,

3614-566: A while would collapse from exhaustion and heat. The skeletal structure of a 12-year-old Nariokatome boy has been suggested as proof that early humans from 1.5 million years ago ate more meat and fewer plants, and hunted by running down animals. With developments in agriculture and culture, long-distance running took more and more purposes other than hunting: religious ceremonies, delivering messages for military and political purposes, and sport. Running messengers are reported from early Sumer , were named lasimu as military men as well as

3753-457: Is a combination of cycling and distance running. Previous versions of the modern pentathlon incorporated a three or four-kilometre (1.9–2.5 mi) run, but changes to the official rules in 2008 meant the running sections are now divided into three separate legs of one kilometre each (0.6 mi). Depending on the rules and terrain, navigation sports such as foot orienteering and rogaining may contain periods of endurance running within

3892-601: Is aerobic respiration. This occurs when oxygen is present, and the body can utilize oxygen to help generate energy and muscle activity. On the other side, anaerobic respiration occurs when the body is deprived of oxygen, and this is common towards the final stretch of races when there is a drive to speed up to a greater intensity. Overall, both types of respiration are used by endurance runners quite often but are very different from each other. Among mammals , humans are well adapted for running significant distances, particularly so among primates . The capacity for endurance running

4031-403: Is also found in migratory ungulates and a limited number of terrestrial carnivores, such as bears, dogs, wolves , and hyenas . In modern human society, long-distance running has multiple purposes: people may engage in it for physical exercise , for recreation , as a means of travel, as a competitive sport, for economic reasons, or cultural reasons. Long-distance running can also be used as

4170-504: Is considering competing in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, which, if confirmed, would mark his fourth Olympic games. As well as stating that this would depend on whether his wife and kids "let him", he reflected on his track retirement, saying: "I was honest and said I was done with the track but part of me missed it. I feel like I can still win medals and do as well as I have over the years." He has also confirmed that he may run in

4309-412: Is crucial to a marathon runner's performance and health. An inability to reduce rising core body temperature can lead to hyperthermia . In order to reduce body heat, the metabolically produced heat needs to be removed from the body via sweating, which in turn requires rehydration to compensate for. Replacement of fluid is limited but can help keep the body's internal temperatures cooler. Fluid replacement

Mo Farah - Misplaced Pages Continue

4448-407: Is energy consumption during locomotion. While walking, humans use about half the energy needed to run. One's aerobic capacity or VO 2 Max is the ability to maximally take up and consume oxygen during exhaustive exercise. Long-distance runners typically perform at around 75–85% of peak aerobic capacity, while short-distance runners perform at closer to 100% of peak. Aerobic capacity depends on

4587-554: Is exclusively found in racing sports . Most of these are individual sports , although team and relay forms also exist. The most prominent long-distance running sports are grouped within the sport of athletics , where running competitions are held on strictly defined courses, and the fastest runner to complete the distance wins. The foremost types are long-distance track running , road running and cross-country running . Other less popular variants such as fell running , trail running , mountain running , and tower running combine

4726-407: Is often measured by the volume of oxygen consumed, either in liters or milliliters, per kilogram of body weight per minute (L/kg/min or mL/kg/min). As of 2016 the physiological basis for this was uncertain, but it seemed to depend on the cumulative years of running and reaches a cap that longer individual training sessions cannot overcome. A long-distance runner's velocity at the lactate threshold

4865-811: Is physiologically challenging during the exercise of this intensity due to the inefficient emptying of the stomach. Partial fluid replacement can serve to avoid a marathon runner's body overheating but not enough to keep pace with the loss of fluid via sweat evaporation. Environmental factors can especially complicate heat regulation. Since the late 1980s, Kenyans, Moroccans, and Ethiopians have dominated in major international long-distance competitions. The high altitude of these countries has been proven to help these runners achieve more success. High altitude, combined with endurance training, can lead to an increase in red blood cells, allowing increased oxygen delivery via arteries. The majority of these East African successful runners come from three mountain districts that run along

5004-503: Is strongly correlated to their performance. The lactate threshold is the cross-over point between predominantly aerobic energy usage and anaerobic energy usage and is considered a good indicator of the body's ability to efficiently process and transfer chemical energy into mechanical energy . For most runners, the aerobic zone does not begin until around 120 heartbeats per minute. Lactate threshold training involves tempo workouts that are meant to build strength and speed, rather than improve

5143-407: Is the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medallist in both the 5,000 m and 10,000 m. He is the second athlete, after Lasse Virén , to win both the 5,000 m and 10,000 m titles at successive Olympic Games. He also completed the 'distance double' at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships in Athletics . He was the first man to defend both distance titles in both major global competitions;

5282-401: The 1912 Summer Olympics . Fell running , trail running , and mountain running can all be considered variations on the traditional cross country which incorporate significant uphill and/or downhill sections as an additional challenge to the course. The term adventure running is loosely defined and can be used to describe any form of long-distance running in a natural setting, regardless of

5421-635: The 1983 America's Cup . The American defender Liberty had taken a 3–1 lead in races , but Australia II came back to win 4–3 and take the America's Cup, ending a 132-year winning streak by the New York Yacht Club . It was the first time the competition had gone to a seventh and final race. In 1986, a Special Team Award was presented to the British 4 × 400m squad of Derek Redmond , Kriss Akabusi , Brian Whittle , Roger Black , Todd Bennett , and Phil Brown , who won gold at

5560-447: The 2001 European Athletics Junior Championships , the same year that he began training at St Mary's University, Twickenham . That year, Farah became one of the first two athletes in the newly formed Endurance Performance Centre at St Mary's. He lived and trained at the college, and took some modules in an access course before becoming a full-time athlete as his career progressed. In 2005, Farah moved in with Australian Craig Mottram and

5699-606: The 2006 European Cross Country Championships in San Giorgio su Legnano , Italy. During the 2007 European Indoor Championship Farah fell and amid confusion started running in the wrong direction. Farah represented the UK at 5000 m in the 2007 World Championships in Osaka , Japan. Farah finished sixth in a time of 13:47.54. In May 2008, Farah ran 10,000 m events, which was the fastest UK men's time for almost eight years. However, he

Mo Farah - Misplaced Pages Continue

5838-420: The 2010 European Athletics Championships . He took the 10,000 metres gold medal, overtaking Ayad Lamdassem with two laps to go and finishing the race unpressured in a time of 28:24.99. This was Farah's first major title and also the first European gold medal in the event for Great Britain. He then went on to win the 5000 m, beating Jesús España and becoming only the fifth man in the 66-year history of

5977-548: The 2015 World Championships in Athletics . His win in the 10,000m made him the oldest World Championship winner in that event, at age 32. On 26 March, Farah received a bronze medal in the 2016 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff , finishing in 59:59, less than one second ahead of Abayneh Ayele . On 20 February, Farah won the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix 3000m event. On 5 June 2016, Farah broke

6116-453: The English schools cross-country championships and finished ninth. The following year he won the first of five English school titles. Recognising his talent, athletics philanthropist Eddie Kulukundis paid the legal fees to complete Farah's naturalisation as a British citizen , allowing him to travel to competitions without visa issues. Farah's first major title was in the 5000 metres at

6255-581: The European Championships . Akabusi, Black, Bennett and Brown also won gold for England in the 4 x 400 m at the Commonwealth Games that year. In 1990, Good Sport Awards were presented for courage and good sportsmanship to Derek Warwick , Martin Donnelly , Louise Aitken-Walker and Tina Thörner , who were all involved in motor racing accidents that year. Warwick survived a high speed crash at Monza ; Donnelly crashed during

6394-640: The Football League First Division that season , having lost only two games and scored a record number of points. In 1981, to recognise the year of the disabled , Dennis Moore received a Special Achievement Award for completing the inaugural London Marathon despite being blind since birth. Lester Piggott won an award in 1984 for his achievements, including winning the St. Leger Stakes on Commanche Run that year, Piggott's record-breaking 28th British classic win. In 1994, Piggott won

6533-467: The Great Rift Valley . While altitude may be a contributing factor, a culture of hard work, teamwork, as well as an advanced institutional structure also contributes to their success. "… an evolutionary perspective indicates that we did not evolve to run long distances at fast speeds on a regular basis. As a result, it is unlikely there was a selection for the human body to cope with some of

6672-710: The Isaaq Genocide when he was aged four, and he then became separated from his mother. He spent a few years in Mogadishu as a child. At the age of nine he was illegally trafficked to the United Kingdom via Djibouti , when he was given the name Mohammed Farah and was forced to work as a domestic servant . He was flown from the country by a woman he had never met, and made to look after another family's children. He obtained British citizenship in July 2000 under

6811-518: The London Olympics . Farah held off the lead he had set and finished with a time of 13:03:30, making it only the second time someone has retained the 5000m and 10,000m Olympic titles, after Lasse Virén of Finland in 1972 and 1976. In September 2016, he won the Great North Run for a record third consecutive year. In 2016, he was the fastest person from the European continent over two middle distance events and three long-distance events;

6950-653: The Summer Paralympics . The World Marathon Majors series includes the six most prestigious marathon competitions at the elite level – the Berlin , Boston , Chicago , London , Tokyo , and New York City marathons. The Tokyo Marathon was most recently added to the World Marathon Majors in 2012. Ekiden contests – which originated in Japan and remain common there – are a relay race variation on

7089-470: The dock10 studios in Salford. Despite the national COVID-19 restrictions, the event was broadcast live on BBC One and hosted by Lineker, Balding, Gabby Logan and for the first time, Alex Scott . Boxer Tyson Fury created controversy ahead of the awards by rejecting his nomination and instructing his legal team to force the BBC to exclude him from the shortlist. Despite his protestations, Fury remained on

SECTION 50

#1732794396142

7228-550: The marathon after the 2017 World Championships in Athletics . He won the 10,000m event , and came second in the 5,000m event after Ethiopia's Muktar Edris . Farah won his final two track events, in the Diamond league, in Birmingham and Zurich. On 24 August 2017, he won his final 5,000m in the Diamond league, finishing in 13:06.05, in a final sprint against Paul Chelimo and Muktar Edris just behind in 13:06.09. On 20 August 2017, Farah again reiterated his decision to move to

7367-651: The 10,000 metres at the World Championships in Doha in late 2019, although this would depend on the result of the 2019 Big Half Marathon. This possibility was later confirmed by Neil Black, performance director of British Athletics , who has said that Farah had received financial backing from the National Lottery in anticipation for both his participation in the Championships, as well as for

7506-541: The 10,000 m title, but was narrowly beaten in a last lap sprint by Ethiopian Ibrahim Jeilan . In the 5000 m, he overcame Lagat, beating him into second place. Following the race, Dave Moorcroft , former 5000 metres world record holder, hailed Farah as "the greatest male distance runner that Britain has ever seen". At the European Championships in June 2012, he won the 5000m . This then made Farah

7645-462: The 1500 metres, 3000 metres, 5000 metres, 10,000 metres and the half-marathon respectively. His ninth global title, the 5000m in Rio, made him surpass Kenenisa Bekele as the most frequent winner of gold in history for major long-distance events. He remained unbeaten in 2016 in the 3000m as well as in six races over the 10,000m and 5,000m distances. Farah announced that he would switch from track events to

7784-537: The 2010 London 10,000 in late May in a time of 27:44, in the process beating 10K world record holder Micah Kogo . His success continued the following week at the European Cup 10,000 m . There, he improved his track best by nearly 16 seconds, finishing in a time of 27:28.86. Farah won by a margin of over forty seconds ahead of second placed Abdellatif Meftah . After training in Africa, he returned to Europe for

7923-503: The 20th century: the oval running tracks were standardised to 400 metres in distance and cinder tracks were replaced by synthetic all-weather running track of asphalt and rubber from the mid-1960s onwards. It was not until the 1912 Stockholm Olympics that the standard long-distance track events of 5000 metres and 10,000 metres were introduced. Long-distance road running competitions are mainly conducted on courses of paved or tarmac roads, although major events often finish on

8062-627: The 34-year-old British 3000 metre record set by Moorcroft by winning the Diamond League in Birmingham , a win he dedicated to the recently deceased boxer Muhammad Ali . In July 2016 Farah set the concurrent world-leading time in the 5000m in winning the Diamond League in London. He won the 10,000m at the Diamond League in Eugene , in a time of 26:53.71 which remained the second-fastest time in

8201-542: The 3:30 barrier in the 1500 metres and the 13-minute barrier in the 5000 metres, as well as the only athlete in history to run sub 3:30, sub 13-minute and sub 27-minute for 1500 metres, 5000 metres and 10,000 metres respectively. Additionally, he has a sub 1 hour run in the half-marathon. The following month, Farah won the London Diamond League Anniversary Games' 3000 metres event in a time of seven minutes and 36.85 seconds. He twice broke

8340-493: The 5000 m with a time of 12:53.11. Farah edged out American Bernard Lagat to win the race. In the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu , South Korea, Farah made a major breakthrough on the world stage by taking the silver medal in the 10,000 m and then the gold in the 5000 m. He became the first British man to win a World Championships medal over either distance. Farah had in fact been more strongly favoured to take

8479-406: The 50th Anniversary , and for the Sports Personality of the Century award, similar miniature trophies were presented but they were gold in colour. The three BBC national regions of BBC Cymru Wales , BBC Scotland and BBC Northern Ireland each hold individual sports personality awards. Respectively, they are BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year , BBC Scotland Sports Personality of

SECTION 60

#1732794396142

8618-462: The Best – Sports Personality . It was presented by Gary Lineker and formed part of a public vote to determine a special Golden Sports Personality of the Year . That year Steve Rider and Martyn Smith wrote a book reflecting on the 50-year history of the award and the programme. The event was held outside London for the first time in 2006, when tickets were made available to the public. The trophy for

8757-579: The European Championships to achieve the 5000 m/10,000 m double, and the first for 20 years, following in the footsteps of the Czech Emil Zátopek in 1950, Zdzislaw Krzyszkowiak of Poland in 1958, Finland's Juha Vaatainen in 1971 and Salvatore Antibo , of Italy, in 1990. On 19 August 2010, at a Diamond League meeting in Zürich , Farah ran 5000 m in 12:57.94, breaking David Moorcroft 's long-standing British record and becoming

8896-404: The European best in the outdoor two mile (8:07.85) and 3000m (7:32.62), until Jakob Ingebrigtsen broke the 2 mile in 2023 with a new world best of 7:54.10 and the 3,000m in 2024 with a world record time of 7:17.55. Farah was also the former British short track record holder for the 3,000 m, at 7:33.1+ (broken by Sam Atkin in 2023 with 7:31.97). Farah also held the 1500m British Record (3:28.81) which

9035-683: The Great North Run for a record-extending fifth consecutive time. At the Chicago Marathon Farah claimed his inaugural gold medal in the marathon distance and in the process set a new European record of 2 hours 5 minutes and 11 seconds, an improvement by 37 seconds. In February 2019, Farah announced he planned to run again in the London Big Half Marathon in March 2019. In an interview, he also stated that he

9174-485: The Tokyo Olympics. Long-distance runner Long-distance running , or endurance running , is a form of continuous running over distances of at least 3 km (1.9 mi). Physiologically, it is largely aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance running comes two different types of respiration . The more prominent side that runners experience more frequently

9313-833: The United States made road running a common pastime and also increased its popularity at the elite level. The marathon is the only road running event featured at the World Athletics Championships and the Summer Olympics , although there is also the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships held every two years. The marathon is also the only road running event featured at the World Para Athletics Championships and

9452-400: The United States, men race 8,000 or 10,000 meters, depending on their division, whereas women race 6,000 meters. The Summer Olympics features four long-distance running events: the 3000 metres steeplechase (which also involves jumping over barriers and water), the 5000 metres , 10,000 metres and marathon (42.195 kilometres, or 26 miles and 385 yards). Humans have been considered among

9591-696: The Year award more than any other athlete, three times and six times respectively. In 2017, Farah won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year . Farah was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2013 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to athletics. Hussein Abdi Kahin ( Somali : Xuseen Cabdi Kaahin ) was born on 23 March 1983 in Somaliland . His father died in

9730-428: The Year award was renamed World Sport Star of the Year. Along with the change of name, votes could be cast from outside of the UK for the first time. In addition a new award was announced: Greatest Sporting Moment of the Year. For the main award, the nominees would not be announced until the show itself. The 2019 ceremony took place in The Event Complex in Aberdeen . The 2020 ceremony took place on 20 December at

9869-452: The Year , and BBC Northern Ireland Sports Personality of the Year . The 12 local BBC English Regions also have their own award ceremonies, which are held locally prior to the national ceremony. Also, fifteen regional winners comprise the nominees for the BBC Sports Unsung Hero Award . In 1969, Don Revie was presented with a Manager of the Year award for his achievements while in charge of Leeds United A.F.C. Leeds became champions of

10008-542: The award again for his "services to racing". Comedian David Walliams received the award in 2006 "for his outstanding achievement of swimming the English Channel for charity", which raised over £1 million for Sport Relief . Fellow comedian Eddie Izzard was presented with the award in 2009 after running 43 marathons in 51 days for Sport Relief . In 1983, the team of Australia II received an International Team Award in recognition of their victory in

10147-408: The award while playing cricket there—which he did. The original trophy is still used for the ceremony, and is engraved after the show before being given to the winner, who keeps it for eight or nine months. The trophies for second and third place, and for the other awards , are smaller imitations of the main trophy, but have in the past been silver salvers . For the two special awards celebrating

10286-474: The award; however, the actual shortlist contained two winners from the most recent decade—rower Steve Redgrave , who won the award, and footballer David Beckham . The other members of the shortlist were footballer Bobby Moore , cricketer Ian Botham and ice skating duo Torvill and Dean . Alf Ramsey 's squad won a poll to select a Team of the Decade for the 50th anniversary show. Representatives from each of

10425-519: The best by a European runner. After the championships, he scored a victory in his first road competition over 10 miles, winning the Great South Run in 46:25 to become the third fastest Briton in spite of strong winds. Farah was one of the favourites to upset Serhiy Lebid 's dominance at the 2009 European Cross Country Championships . However, Lebid was never in contention as Farah and Alemayehu Bezabeh were some distance ahead throughout

10564-459: The best distance runners among all running animals: game animals are faster over short distances, but they have less endurance than humans. Unlike other primates whose bodies are suited to walk on four legs or climb trees, the human body has evolved into upright walking and running around 2-3 million years ago. The human body can endure long-distance running through the following attributes: One distinction between upright walking and running

10703-492: The best team and Sports Personality from the previous fifty years. Rower Steve Redgrave was voted BBC Golden Sports Personality of the Year and England's 1966 World Cup -winning football team was chosen as Team of the Decades . The BBC 's Sports Personality of the Year was created by Paul Fox , who came up with the idea while he was editor of the magazine show Sportsview . The first award ceremony took place as part of

10842-561: The capacity of the NEC was increased from 5,000 to 8,000. The event sold out, but the sponsorship deal was shortened to one year after complaints by ITV and RadioCentre caused the BBC Trust to rule in June 2008 that "Editorial Guidelines were breached and the editorial integrity of the BBC compromised by giving the impression to licence fee payers via Sports Personality of the Year that part of

10981-426: The cardiovascular system's efficiency in absorbing and transporting oxygen. By running at your lactate threshold, your body will become more efficient at clearing lactate and reusing it to fuel your muscles. Uncertainty exists in regard to how lactate threshold affects endurance performance. In order to sustain high-intensity running, a marathon runner must obtain sufficient glycogen stores. Glycogen can be found in

11120-469: The carriages of aristocrats around the 18th century, and who also ran errands over distances for their masters. Foot racing competitions evolved from wagers between aristocrats, who pitted their footman against that of another aristocrat in order to determine a winner. The sport became professionalised as footmen were hired specifically on their athletic ability and began to devote their lives to training for gambling events. The amateur sports movement in

11259-511: The challenge of distance with a significant incline or change of elevation as part of the course. Multisport races frequently include endurance running. Triathlon , as defined by the International Triathlon Union , may feature running sections ranging from five kilometres (3.1 miles) to the marathon distance (42.195 kilometres, or 26 miles and 385 yards), depending on the race type . The related sport of duathlon

11398-591: The combined total of the five other contenders: Pelé , George Best , Donald Bradman , Jack Nicklaus , and Jesse Owens . In 2005, Sebastian Coe received a Special Gold Award for chairing London 's winning bid for the 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic games. In 2020, Marcus Rashford received an Expert Panel Special Award for his campaign for free school meals during the COVID-19 pandemic and against child food poverty. In 2022, Kevin Sinfield received

11537-443: The competition. Variants of adventure racing may also combine navigational skills and endurance running in this manner. The history of long-distance track running events are tied to the track and field stadia where they are held. Oval circuits allow athletes to cover long distances in a confined area. Early tracks were usually on flattened earth or were simply marked areas of grass. The style of running tracks became refined during

11676-460: The context of track and field sports events. These include multiday races , ultramarathons , and long-distance races in extreme conditions or measuring hundreds or thousands of miles . Beyond these, records and stand-alone achievements, rather than regular events, exist for individuals who have achieved running goals of a unique nature, such as running across or around continents (see lists of runners: America , Australia ) or running around

11815-429: The decade covered; the five winners then went onto a shortlist for one of two special 50th Anniversary awards . From this shortlist, rower Steve Redgrave was voted Golden Sports Personality of the Year by the public. The England World Cup-winning team of 1966 won a Team of the Decades award, voted for by representatives from all previous Teams of the Year . In 2006, for the first time in its 53-year history,

11954-416: The episodes were shown on BBC One for five consecutive nights from 8 to 12 December 2003 and each covered one decade of Sports Personality. To celebrate the golden anniversary of the show, a special award was voted for by the public to recognise an all-time Golden Sports Personality from the previous winners of the last 49 years. A shortlist of five was planned to contain one winner from each decade of

12093-414: The event was held outside London, in Birmingham 's National Exhibition Centre (NEC). For the first time, tickets for the event were made available to the public, and 3,000 were sold in the first hour. That year, Adrian Chiles joined the show and co-presented alongside Barker and Lineker for two years. The 2007 ceremony was the first of a two-year sponsorship deal with Britvic 's brand Robinsons , and

12232-463: The extreme demands runners place on their bodies." The impact of long-distance running on human health is generally positive. Various organs and systems in the human body are improved: bone mineral density is increased, and cholesterol is lowered. However, beyond a certain point, negative consequences might occur. Older male runners (45-55) who run more than 40 miles (64 kilometers) per week face reduced testosterone levels, although they are still in

12371-470: The first International Cross Country Championships in 1903. The annual World Athletics Cross Country Championships was inaugurated in 1973 and this remains the highest level of competition for the sport. A number of continental cross country competitions are held, with championships taking place in Africa , Asia , Europe , Oceania , North America and South America . The sport has retained its status at

12510-451: The first athlete to win this European title more than once. At the London 2012 Olympics , on 4 August, Farah won the 10,000 m gold in a time of 27:30.42. This was Great Britain's first Olympic gold medal in the 10,000 m, and came after two other gold medals for the country in the same athletics session. His training partner, Galen Rupp of the United States, took second place. At

12649-627: The first ever British athlete to run under 13 minutes. In December 2010, Farah was named track-and-field athlete of the year by the British Olympic Association. He closed the year at the BO classic and just missed out on the 10,000 m title, losing to Imane Merga in a sprint finish by 0.2 seconds. 2011 was a successful year for Farah, beginning on 8 January at the Edinburgh Cross Country , where he defeated

12788-470: The golden anniversary of the show. Leading up to the anniversary show on 14 December 2003, a series of five half-hour special programmes, entitled Simply The Best – Sports Personality , were broadcast. Hosted by Gary Lineker, the episodes were shown on BBC One for five consecutive nights from 8–12 December 2003; each covered one decade of Sports Personality history. At the end of each programme, viewers voted for their favourite Sports Personality winner from

12927-411: The heart enable an individual to achieve a greater stroke volume . A concomitant decrease in stroke volume occurs with the initial increase in heart rate at the onset of exercise. Despite an increase in cardiac dimensions, a marathoner's aerobic capacity is confined to this capped and ever-decreasing heart rate. The amount of oxygen that blood can carry depends on blood volume , which increases during

13066-611: The king's officials who disseminated documents throughout the kingdom by running. Ancient Greece was famous for its running messengers, who were named hemerodromoi , meaning "day runners". One of the most famous running messengers is Pheidippides , who according to the legend ran from Marathon to Athens to announce the victory of the Greek over the Persians in the Battle of Marathon in 490 B.C. He collapsed and died as he delivered

13205-545: The late 19th century marginalised competitions based on the professional, gambling model. The 1896 Summer Olympics saw the birth of the modern marathon and the event led to the growth of road running competitions through annual public events such as the Boston Marathon (first held in 1897) and the Lake Biwa Marathon and Fukuoka Marathons , which were established in the 1940s. The 1970s running boom in

13344-621: The link, which may or may not be causal. Some studies find that running more than 20 miles (32 kilometers) per week yields no lower risk for all-cause mortality than non-runners, although these studies are in conflict with large studies that show longer lifespans for any increase in exercise volume. Elite-level long-distance running is associated with a three to seven times higher risk of the knee osteoarthritis later in life compared to non-runners. The effectiveness of shoe inserts has been contested. Memory foam and similar shoe inserts may be comfortable, but they can make foot muscles weaker in

13483-412: The long term. Running shoes with special features, or lack thereof in the case of minimalist designs, do not prevent injury . Rather, comfortable shoes and standard running styles are safer. Many sporting activities feature significant levels of running under prolonged periods of play, especially during ball sports like association football and rugby league . However, continuous endurance running

13622-768: The main award is a silver-plated four-turret lens camera, and for the other awards smaller imitations of the main trophy are used. All of the BBC local regions hold their own independent award ceremonies, which take place before the main ceremony and are used to compile a shortlist for the BBC Sports Unsung Hero Award . Other awards have been presented in the past. Special Achievement Awards have been presented on five occasions: to jockey Lester Piggott in 1984 and 1994, disabled marathon runner Dennis Moore in 1981, comedian David Walliams in 2006, and comedian Eddie Izzard in 2009. Sebastian Coe picked up

13761-579: The marathon full-time, and caused headlines when he announced after running his last 10,000m race on British soil at the Muller Grand Prix in Birmingham that he would never again run in a GB vest. On 10 September 2017, Farah won the Great North Run for a record fourth consecutive time. He finished in 1:00:06, 6 seconds ahead of Jake Robertson . On 31 October, Farah split from Alberto Salazar in order to be coached by Gary Lough , husband and former coach of Paula Radcliffe . Salazar stated that

13900-453: The marathon, in contrast to the typically individual sport of road running. Cross-country running is the most naturalistic form of long-distance running in athletics as competitions take place on open-air courses over surfaces such as grass, woodland trails, earth , or mountains. In contrast to the relatively flat courses in track and road races, cross country usually incorporates obstacles such as muddy sections, logs, and mounds of earth. As

14039-643: The message "we won". While there are debates around the accuracy of this historical legend, whether Pheidippides ran from Marathon to Athens or between other cities, how far this was, and if he was the one to deliver the victory message, the marathon running event of 26.2 miles / 42.195 km is based on this legend. Typical long-distance track races range from 3000 metres (1.87 miles) to 10,000 metres (6.2 miles), cross country races usually cover 5 to 12 km (3 to 7 1 ⁄ 2 miles), while road races can be significantly longer, reaching 100 km (62 mi) and beyond. In collegiate cross-country races in

14178-608: The name Mohamed Farah. These aspects of his background were not made public until July 2022, and a barrister told him that there was a risk that he might lose his British nationality as it was obtained by misrepresentations; the Home Office , however, assured him that he would not face any repercussions. For the first years he was in Britain, he was not allowed to go to school, but when he was 11 or 12 he began to attend Year 7 at Feltham Community College , where staff were told he

14317-757: The national record in the half-marathon, first on 24 February in New Orleans, then broke his own record on 15 September in the BUPA Great North Run . On 10 August 2013, Farah stayed in front of Ibrahim Jeilan to win the 10,000 m event at the World Championships in Moscow. The victory was his fourth global title. On 16 August 2013, Farah won the 5,000 m event, in the process becoming double world and Olympic champion. After this victory, BBC commentator Brendan Foster and Sebastian Coe called Farah 'Britain's greatest ever athlete'. Farah became only

14456-486: The normal range. Running a marathon lowers testosterone levels by 50% in men and more than doubles cortisol levels for 24 hours. Low testosterone is thought to be a physiological adaptation to the sport, as excess muscle caused may be shed through lower testosterone, yielding a more efficient runner. Veteran, lifelong endurance athletes have been found to have more heart scarring than control groups, but replication studies and larger studies should be done to firmly establish

14595-650: The race was cancelled due to the Christchurch earthquake and damage done to the track, they entered the half-marathon in New York. On 3 June 2011, at a Diamond League meeting in Eugene , Oregon, Farah won the Prefontaine Classic 's 10,000 m event in 26:46.57, setting a new British and European record. On 22 July 2011, at a Diamond League meeting in Monaco , he set a new British national record in

14734-670: The run. Farah was overtaken by Bezabeh in the latter stages of the race, leaving the Briton with a second consecutive silver medal at the competition. He did not manage to attend the medal ceremony, however, as he collapsed immediately after the race and needed medical attention. After a close third place behind Edwin Soi at the BOclassic , Farah competed in the short course race at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country . He

14873-530: The running surface. It may include river crossing, scrambling , snow, extremely high or low temperatures, and high altitudes. It has both competitive and non-competitive forms, the latter being for individual recreation or social experience. As a result, courses are often set in scenic locations and feature obstacles designed to give participants a sense of achievement. It bears similarities to running sections of adventure racing . A number of events, records, and achievements exist for long-distance running, outside

15012-570: The scholastic level, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. At the professional level, the foremost competitions come under the banner of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour . While cross country competitions are no longer held at the Olympics, having featured in the athletics programme from 1912 to 1924, it has been present as one of the events within the modern pentathlon competition since

15151-483: The second man in history to win long-distance titles at successive editions of the Olympics and World Championships, after Kenenisa Bekele 's 2008–09 feat. He was the first British athlete to win two individual gold medals at a World Championships. In December 2013, Farah was the second favourite, behind Wimbledon tennis champion Andy Murray , to become the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. When he

15290-483: The shortlist for the trophy which was won for the second time by Lewis Hamilton . Also awarded that year was the Expert Panel Special Award, awarded to footballer Marcus Rashford for his campaign against child food poverty. In May 2024, it was announced that under the BBC's "competitive tender" policy, Whisper North had won the tender to produce the ceremony. The trophy for the main award

15429-613: The show for the first time in 1994, at which racing driver Damon Hill won the first of his two awards, the second coming two years later. Boxer Frank Bruno was the inaugural winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award in 1996, and as of 2014 there have been 15 recipients of the award. In 1999 the show was renamed Sports Personality of the Year , and Gary Lineker joined the show as a co-presenter alongside Rider and Barker. They were supported that year by John Inverdale and Clare Balding . The ceremony introduced

15568-558: The show live, as the 10,600-seater venue in Liverpool had a bigger capacity than the NEC. That year Jake Humphrey replaced Chiles as co-presenter. The 2009 show was rumoured to be held in either Cardiff or Glasgow. However, it was announced on 30 April 2009 that the show would be staged at the Sheffield Arena . The 2010 ceremony was held in Birmingham's LG Arena with approximately 12,000 guests. The ceremony in 2011

15707-415: The show until 1985. Des Lynam took over as main host from Bough in 1983, and presided over figure skating duo Torvill and Dean 's win the following year, when they became the first non-individual winners of the main award. Steve Rider replaced Carpenter as co-host in 1986, at which a Special Team Award was presented to Great Britain men's 4 x 400 m relay team. In the 1980s, Steve Davis finished in

15846-472: The show was renamed Sports Review of the Year and given a longer duration of 75 minutes. The award continued to be held together with the sportsman and sportswoman of the year awards until 1958, by which time the latter awards were being organised by the Daily Express . From 1959 the BBC award ceremony was separated from the sportsman and sportswoman of the year awards. In 1960 Dimmock presented

15985-700: The show, and introduced two new awards: the Team of the Year award and the Overseas Personality award, won by the Cooper Car Company and athlete Herb Elliott respectively. David Coleman joined the show the following year and remained a co-presenter until 1983. Swimmer Anita Lonsbrough became the first female recipient of the main award in 1962; females won it in the following two years as well. Frank Bough took over as presenter in 1964 and presented Sports Review for 18 years. In 1969,

16124-442: The skeletal muscles and liver. With low levels of glycogen stores at the onset of the marathon, premature depletion of these stores can reduce performance or even prevent the completion of the race. ATP production via aerobic pathways can further be limited by glycogen depletion. Free Fatty Acids serve as a sparing mechanism for glycogen stores. The artificial elevation of these fatty acids along with endurance training demonstrates

16263-531: The split was mutual and he would be happy to advise Farah in the future. In March 2018, in preparation for the London Marathon, Farah won the inaugural London Big Half Marathon, his first race in six months. On 22 April 2018, Farah came third in the London Marathon in a time of 2:06:22, comfortably beating the British record of 2:07:13 set by Steve Jones in 1985. On 9 September 2018 Farah won

16402-468: The sport is linked with the game of paper chase , or hare and hounds, where a group of runners would cover long distances to chase a leading runner, who left a trail of paper to follow. The Crick Run in England in 1838 was the first recorded instance of an organised cross-country competition. The sport gained popularity in British, then American schools in the 19th century and culminated in the creation of

16541-401: The then Hussein Abdi Kahin was trafficked from Djibouti to London under the name of another child, Mohamed Farah, at the age of nine where he was forced into child labour. He adopted the name as his own thereafter, becoming a British citizen. He ran for Newham and Essex Beagles athletics club, training at St Mary's University College, Twickenham from 2001 to 2011. He did not reveal that he

16680-473: The time both runners were a part of the Nike Oregon Project coached by Alberto Salazar . Farah stated that he would observe his Ramadan fast later in the year. On 11 August 2012, Farah made it a long-distance double, winning the 5000 metres in a time of 13:41.66. The noise from the crowd in the 5,000 m race was so loud it made the camera shake and distorted the photo-finish image. He dedicated

16819-403: The top four finishers of that year's European Championships to take victory in the long race. In February 2011, Farah announced that he would be relocating to Portland , Oregon to work with new couch Alberto Salazar , train alongside Galen Rupp , and avoid the attention of the British tabloids. On 19 February 2011 in Birmingham, England, Farah broke the European 5000 m indoor record with

16958-519: The top three on five occasions, including one win in 1988. In 1991, angler Bob Nudd received the most votes following a campaign in the Angling Times . However, the BBC deemed this to be against the rules and refused to acknowledge his votes, allowing athlete Liz McColgan to win the award. The following year racing driver Nigel Mansell became the second person to win the main award twice, having won his first in 1986. Sue Barker presented

17097-439: The track of a main stadium. In addition to being a common recreational sport , the elite level of the sport – particularly marathon races – is one of the most popular aspects of athletics. Road racing events can be of virtually any distance, but the most common and well-known is the marathon, half marathon , and 10 km run . The sport of road running finds its roots in the activities of footmen : male servants who ran alongside

17236-472: The track, Farah mostly competed over 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres , but has run competitively from 1,500 metres to the marathon . In 2017, he indicated his intention to switch wholly to road racing following victory at his final track race, the 2017 IAAF Diamond League 5,000 metres final. He won the 2018 Chicago Marathon in a time of 2:05:11, a European record. His running style has been described as bouncy and tactical, which he has attempted to alter for

17375-647: The transportation of large amounts of blood to and from the lungs to reach all tissues. This in turn is dependent on having a high cardiac output , sufficient levels of hemoglobin in blood and an optimal vascular system to distribute blood. A 20-fold increase of local blood flow within the skeletal muscle is necessary for endurance athletes, like marathon runners, to meet their muscles' oxygen demands at maximal exercise that are up to 50 times greater than at rest. Elite long-distance runners often have larger hearts and decreased resting heart rates that enable them to achieve greater aerobic capacities. Increased dimensions of

17514-399: The two golds to his twin daughters. On 23 August 2012, Farah returned to the track at a Diamond League meet in Birmingham , where he capped off a winning season with another victory over a distance of two miles (3.2 km). Following his 2012 successes, Farah was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to athletics. The move

17653-641: The world . BBC Sports Personality of the Year The BBC Sports Personality of the Year is an awards ceremony that takes place annually in December. Devised by Paul Fox in 1954, it originally consisted of just a singular award of the same name . Several new awards have been introduced, and currently eight awards are presented. The first awards to be added were the Team of the Year and Overseas Personality awards, which were introduced in 1960. A Lifetime Achievement Award

17792-491: The world of the year. On 13 August, Farah won a gold medal in the 10,000 metres at the Rio Olympics , making it the first time a Briton had won three athletic gold Olympic medals. After being accidentally clipped on the back of the heel by American Galen Rupp on the tenth lap he fell, but went on to win gold with the time of 27:05.17. Rupp slowed after Farah's fall to check his condition and finished in fifth place with

17931-505: The year's London Marathon , his first such run. He described running the event as a longstanding ambition of his, particularly to do so in London. Farah finished in eighth place in a time of 2:08.21. This was outside Steve Jones ' GB record, but set a new English national record. Farah was due to compete at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. However, he withdrew due to illness from a stomach ailment and an infection caused from having

18070-643: Was knocked out before the 5000 m final at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In January 2009, Farah set a new British indoor record in the 3000 metres, breaking John Mayock 's record with a time of 7 minutes 40.99 seconds in Glasgow . A few weeks later, he broke his own record by more than six seconds with a time of 7 minutes 34.47 at the UK Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham, a performance which commentator Steve Cram called "the best performance by

18209-478: Was a refugee from Somalia. His athletic talent was first identified by physical education teacher Alan Watkinson. Farah's ambition was to become a car mechanic or play as a right winger for Arsenal football club. Farah joined the Borough of Hounslow Athletics Club in west London. He represented Hounslow at cross-country in the 1994 London Youth Games as an under-13. In 1996, at the age of 13, he entered

18348-444: Was a victim of trafficking until 2022. Farah is the current world record holder for the one hour run (21,330 m) and the current European record holder for the outdoor 10,000 m (26:46.57). He is also the current British record holder for the 3,000 m (7:32.62) and 5,000 m (12:53.11). He formerly held the world best for the short track two miles at 8:03.40 (broken by Josh Kerr in 2024 with an 8:00.67 clocking), and also formerly held

18487-473: Was asked what drove him to keep pushing back the boundaries of athletic accomplishment, he noted sprinter Usain Bolt 's record breaking streak as a motivating example of what is possible for all dedicated athletes. Farah was a finalist for the 2013 IAAF World Athlete of the year award. In preparation for his marathon debut, he also extended his training schedule to 120 miles a week. Farah began 2014 preparing for

18626-603: Was broken by Josh Kerr in 2024 with a time of 3:27.79. Farah was the first British athlete to win two gold medals at the same world championships. His five gold medals at the European Athletics Championships made him the most successful male athlete in individual events in the championships' history. He has won the European Athlete of the Year award and the British Athletics Writers Association British Athlete of

18765-458: Was created in the 1950s and cost about £1,000. It was first presented to the inaugural winner, Christopher Chataway , in 1954. It is a silver-plated four-turret lens camera , with the name of each winner engraved on individual shields attached to a plinth underneath the camera. The trophy originally had one plinth, but two more were added to create room for more shields. A replica trophy was made in 1981 and sent to India in case Ian Botham won

18904-701: Was first given in 1995 and again in 1996, and has been presented annually since 2001. In 1999, three more awards were introduced: the Helen Rollason Award , the Coach Award , and the Newcomer Award , which was renamed to Young Sports Personality of the Year in 2001. The newest is the Unsung Hero Award , first presented in 2003. In 2003, the 50th anniversary of the show was marked by a five-part series on BBC One called Simply

19043-707: Was held at Salford's dock10 Studios within MediaCityUK . The 2012 ceremony took place at ExCeL London , which had been one of the major venues for both the Olympics and Paralympics earlier that year. The 60th ceremony in 2013 was held at the First Direct Arena in Leeds. In 2014 , the ceremony was held in Scotland for the first time in its history, at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, which had served as

19182-660: Was met with anger by many in the general public, including erstwhile Minister of Sports Gerry Sutcliffe , who felt that Farah instead deserved a higher accolade. Farah's former physical education teacher Alan Watkinson similarly indicated that he was disappointed that Farah was not knighted and that the decision "discredits the system although it's still a fantastic achievement for Mo and well deserved." However, deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg cited Farah's Olympic double gold win in his 2013 New Year's message and 2012 Autumn conference, and David Cameron in August 2013 expressed support for

19321-489: Was the favourite to win and surged ahead to build a comfortable lead. However, he appeared tired in the latter stages and finished third behind British runners Ricky Stevenson and Steve Vernon. Farah again required post-race medical attention and subsequent tests revealed he had low levels of iron and magnesium. He was prescribed supplements for the condition and his high altitude training plans in Kenya were unaffected. Farah won

#141858