Mo Farah can break my 33-year-old British marathon record in London on Sunday, says Steve Jones
STEVE JONES is backing Mo Farah to break his long-standing British marathon record on Sunday.
Welshman Jones clocked 2hr 7min 13sec to win the Chicago Marathon in 1985 — when Farah was TWO.
Olympic hero Farah, 35, makes his first serious 26.2-mile outing in the London Marathon after retiring from the track last summer.
Jones, 62, fancies the Brit superstar to one day go close to Kenyan Dennis Kimetto’s 2014 world record of 2:02.57.
He said: “I never felt my record would last so long — but it is fast!
“Although when I did it, I kind of blew up the last five or six miles. So it could’ve been quicker.
“I should just wave the white flag now and hand it over. Even a bad run this time should break the British record.
“At some point he can get close to the world record. Will it happen on Sunday, who knows?”
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Jones worked full-time in the RAF when he was running — winning the London, Chicago, New York and Toronto races.
He is relieved Farah has finally moved away from his old coach, ex-marathon runner Alberto Salazar, who Jones ran against.
Coach Salazar is still being investigated by anti-doping chiefs — but denies any wrongdoing.
Jones added: “I said when this whole thing blew up that Mo should distance himself.”
CALLUM HAWKINS has vowed to learn from his Commonwealth Games marathon heartache.
The Scot, 25, collapsed late on while leading.
He tweeted: “I’m absolutely gutted but it’s sport, s*** happens.
“I will use the whole thing as big learning experience to make myself a better athlete for Tokyo and the future.”
