World Athletics Championships: Mo Farah is the ultimate championship racer with nine global titles
MO FARAH is not the fastest long distance runner to grace the track but he may just be the smartest.
Britain's four-time Olympic champion has gone down in history as one of the greatest of all time thanks to his dominance at 5,000 metres and 10,000m.
Not since 2011 has Farah been beaten in a major championship race, when he was just headed to gold in the Worlds over 10,000m.
That makes it nine straight times the 34-year-old has seen off his rivals when it really mattered across Olympic Games and World Championships.
Despite his brilliance, Farah has not even come to close to breaking any world records over the two distances.
His best run over 5,000m is 15.76seconds slower than the world record set by Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele.
And Bekele's world mark over 10,000m is a full 29.04secs quicker than the best Farah could must.
But for the British ace, records mean nothing compared to his huge medal haul - and all that comes down to him being the expert tactician, changing his time of attack to keep his rivals guessing.
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But four years later he waited until hitting the home straight before kicking for the finish, timing his run to perfection.
SunSport takes a close look at all Farah's runs for glory to explain why he is the ultimate champion racer.
1: Rio, Olympics 10,000m, 2016 - 100m to go
Waited and waited as his rivals tried to apply the pressure, before making his move coming off the turn to ease clear of Kenyan Paul Tanui.
Farah eventually finished off a good five metres clear of his rival.
2: Daegu, World Championships 5,000m, 2011 - 100m to go
Needing to break his major title duck, Farah went shoulder to shoulder with the great American long-distance runner Bernard Legat.
The pair matched each other stride for stride, but as they hit the straight it was Farah who changed up a gear to race to his first gold medal.
3: Beijing, World Championships 5,000m, 2015 - 100m to go
Confident of his ability, Farah settled in to take the bell in second place and allowed Kenyan Caleb Mwangangi to lead the field out.
He moved onto Mwangangi's shoulder in the last strides of the turn before turning on the gas to power clear down the home straight for another win.
4: Rio, Olympics 5,000m, 2016 - 200m to go
As they raced the final lap, there was a double threat to the Brit in the shape of America's Paul Kipkemoi Chelimo and Hagos Gebrhiwet of Ethiopia.
Farah decided the blow them both away by kicking for home as they entered the final turn and he dug deep to maintain his speed and clinch another victory.
5: Moscow, World Championships 5,000m, 2013 - 650m to go
Knowing some of his rivals possessed great kick finishes, Farah decides to take the sting out of them by stretching the field out early.
Kenyan Isiah Koech took him on early on before fading as only Ethiopian Hagos Gebrhiwet has the legs to go with him but Farah refused to yield and took gold by 0.28secs.
6: Daegu, World Championships 10,000m 2011 - 670m to go
The last time Farah was headed in a major final, the British star made his move early hoping to break the spirit of the field and led down the home straight.
But Ethiopia's Ibrahim Jeilan proved too strong in the final metres to snatch the victory and leave Farah settling for silver.
7: London, Olympics 5,000m - 700m to go
One of Farah's finest ever performances, fresh from taking gold in the 10,000m he knew he had to take it to his opponents early and test their strength.
He struck for home 700m out, but still the Kenyan challenge of Thomas Pkemei Longosiwa kept coming in an epic duel.
Farah refused to be denied and kicked again in the final 50m to complete the long-distance double.
8: Beijing, World Championships 10,000m - 330m to go
Just after taking the bell Farah stumbles as the field jostled for position ready to make their move.
Deciding not to risk a fall, Farah surged into the lead around the penultimate bend and accelerated away from the pack to take the win with a final lap of 54.15secs.
9: London, Olympics 2012 10,000m - 400m to go
The crowning moment on Super Saturday, Farah moved into the lead on the bell to the delight of the home crowd.
The noise in the Olympic Stadium built to deafening levels as the British star sprinted the final lap in 53.48secs to take the gold ahead of American training partner Galen Rupp.
10: Moscow, World Championships 2013 10,000m - 400m to go
Determined to make up for heartache two years earlier, Farah waited until the bell to make his big move, taking Paul Kipngetich Tanui and Ethiopia's Ibrahim Jeilan with him.
But this time the strength and speed held out as Jeilan was unable to haul Farah back before the line.