8:54AM, Fri Sep 7, 2012

Mo-Tots Leave Olympic Gold Medal Winner Mo Farah Too Tired For The Great North Run

By Hugh Macknight Location: Newcastle

Olympics hero Mo Farah has pulled out of the Great North Run – after being left too tired to train by his twin baby daughters.

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The 29-year-old double gold medal winner will instead race a shorter distance and will be among the honorary starters at the beginning of the 13-mile event.

Somali-born Mo, 29, dedicated his 10,000m and 5,000m wins to 5lb 2oz Aisha and 4lb 4oz Amani, who were born on August 24.

A spokesman for Nova International, which organises the Bupa Great North Run said the twins’ arrival had been an understandable distraction from Farah's training for the half marathon.

Mo said: “I’m sorry not to be able to take part in the Bupa Great North Run but the last few weeks have taken their toll and it would be disrespectful to take on the distance without the necessary hard training.

“Of course I’ll be delighted to take part on the Saturday afternoon, before high fiving as many people as possible on Sunday morning!”

The athlete will run a two-mile event at the Great North CityGames on the NewcastleGateshead Quayside instead.

Farah will join rower Kat Copeland, boxer Nicola Adams, long jumper Greg Rutherford and Paralympic swimmer Ellie Simmonds on the start line.

Meanwhile, Ethiopian running legend Haile Gebrselassie, who won the event in 2010, has been forced to withdraw from the Bupa Great North Run due to a knee injury.

He and wife Tania, 26, also have a seven-year-old daughter Rihanna.

Organisers are working on replacements for the elite field.