Bekele edges Farah in classic 2013 Great North Run duel

Kenenisa Bekele won the 2013 Great North Run half-marathon in 60:09, beating Britain's Mo Farah by a single second. Haile Gebrselassie, the third member of a historic trio, finished in 60:41. According to a report by Athletics Weekly, the race brought together three generations of distance running greatness for a tactical battle on the road from Newcastle to South Shields.

Gebrselassie was the elder statesman, a former track world record holder. Bekele was the Ethiopian successor aiming to prove himself after years of injury in his first ever half-marathon. Farah arrived as the reigning Olympic and world champion over 5000m and 10,000m. The elite field created a championship atmosphere within the mass participation event.

A tactical opening

The early pace was controlled. Gebrselassie led with Farah close by, and the trio passed 10km in 28:58. Bekele, however, had dropped a few metres behind. This appeared to be a sign of struggle from the debutant. It was actually a deliberate ploy. Bekele later explained he wanted the pace to increase. "I wanted the race to become faster and I did not see this happening while we were all together," he said. "So I dropped back, hoping that they would try to increase the pace." The move worked. Farah reportedly told Gebrselassie the gap was not large enough. By 13km, Bekele had rejoined the leaders.

The decisive attack

The race's defining move came on a steep downhill section just before the 20km mark. Bekele launched a sudden acceleration, immediately opening a gap. Gebrselassie could not respond. Farah found himself roughly 15 metres behind. The timing was important. By attacking before the final straight, Bekele aimed to negate Farah's renowned finishing sprint, forcing a longer pursuit.

For a moment, the race seemed settled. Then Farah began to close. Inside the final 400 metres, the gap vanished rapidly. Bekele glanced over his shoulder repeatedly as Farah drew near. With just 100 metres to the line, Farah was almost on his rival's shoulder. The home crowd roared for a comeback victory.

A one-second margin

Bekele found a final burst of speed to resist the charge. He crossed the line first, with Farah a step behind. The official times confirmed a nail-biting finish.

For Bekele, the win held special significance after his injury struggles. He called it "an amazing race" and soon after targeted a marathon debut. Farah was disappointed but contextualised the loss, noting his focus had been on the World Championships earlier that season and his half-marathon preparation was brief. He acknowledged the quality of the athlete who beat him.

This narrow defeat marked the beginning of Farah's own dominance at the event. He returned in 2014 to become the first British men's winner since 1985. He then proceeded to win the Great North Run every year from 2014 to 2019, securing six consecutive titles.