Mo Farah out of The Vitality Big Half on Sunday 1 March. Photo credit: The Vitality Big Half

Mo Farah has withdrawn from The Vitality Big Half 2020 due to a minor Achilles injury sustained in training.

Farah has won the event on the past two occasions and had been looking forward to racing another distance running great, Kenenisa Bekele (ETH), at this year’s race on Sunday 1 March.

He said: “I was really looking forward to racing The Vitality Big Half again. Everyone knows how much I love racing in London, but my priority is to be fit, healthy and competitive for the summer season and for that reason I have had to make the tough decision not to race this year. I definitely hope to be back again in 2021.”

Instead of returning to London for The Vitality Big Half, Farah will instead continue his preparations for the summer season in Africa.

Bekele, the world record holder for the 5000m and 10000m, is the star name in the men’s elite field for The Vitality Big Half. Also racing is Kenyan Marius Kipserem, the reigning Rotterdam Marathon champion, as well as a string of top British athletes including: Chris Thompson, Dewi Griffiths and Ross Millington.

Lily Partridge, who was second in the elite women’s race at The Vitality Big Half in 2018, is the latest addition to the women’s field. She joins fellow Brits Hayley Carruthers and Stephanie Davis.