Mo Farah discovers the ‘next chapter’ with RunGP in bold attempt to shake up running

The four-time Olympic champion tells Jack Rathborn how he plans to re-energise the sport through the innovative team-based run series at iconic Formula 1 circuits. Sir Mo Farah is ready to shake up running and launch an innovative new team-based run series. Since the 2023 Great North Run, Farah has been searching, he had to let go, with his body giving up after a glittering career. But now a beaming Farah is eager to leave his mark on the sport once more.

It has been intriguing to watch the double-double Olympic gold medallist bide his time, largely resisting a career in the media as he considered his options. That is until now, with the emergence of RunGP and an opportunity to strike a balance between a presence at the elite end of the sport and the mass participation running boom seen around the world since Covid.

Through RunGP, the flagship series of the Global Running League (GRL) held on Formula 1 circuits, Farah and Marcel Muenster, the organisation’s CEO, believe they can revolutionise a sport in need of engagement throughout Olympic cycles. Running has struggled to translate its rapidly-growing number of grassroots participants into both a compelling television product at the elite level or a thriving business model.

The series brings a team-based format and vows to integrate pro athletes, influencers and celebrity-backed squads with races around iconic tracks, and the hope is the product could take place at the likes of Silverstone and Sao Paulo’s Interlagos. The inaugural RunGP, which will be streamed live through DAZN, will take place at the Lusail International Circuit, Doha, home to the Qatar Grand Prix, on 9-10 May.

And at a pivotal moment for the sport, as Michael Johnson prepares to roll out the elite-only Grand Slam Track in Jamaica next month as a direct competitor to the traditional World Athletics-sanctioned Diamond League circuit, Farah's RunGP hopes to integrate the amateur scene and youth participation as well.

“I had to stop because of my body had it, and mentally as well, when you're not motivated, when you're not as hungry, it's hard to motivate yourself,” Farah tells the Independent. “It got to a point where there's nothing more to be achieved, and it was hard to find the next chapter of life, and what am I going to do. I've got my coaching licence, and the events, One Mo Mile, to give back to the kids, but then going global running came along and I realised it could allow me to connect people, because that’s the biggest thing missing.”.

Muenster hopes the live GPS-driven biometrics, as seen mid-race in F1, will bring greater insight into the performance of elite runners mid-race. Before the main event, runners of all levels can participate in the RunGP Qatar 7.032, or roughly one-sixth of a marathon. Then, four teams, initially, made up of seven runners each, will compete at the RunGP Qatar Final, with the hope to expand that number to 10 teams per race.

It may take some time for fans to familiarise themselves with the format. But Farah, who raced to 5,000m and 10,000m glory at the London and Rio de Janeiro Olympics, believes the product in athletics is desperate for innovation and new energy. “When I watch athletics, to me, it's not as exciting as it once was,” Farah adds. “How do we make athletics exciting? How do we make running exciting? How do you make running this big global event?.

“And that's what we're trying in every way that we can and connect. But this idea really is to make this league something that has never been heard of and make history.”. Farah is relaxed when asked how RunGP, Johnson’s Grand Slam Track and the traditional Diamond League can co-exist, avoiding a potential situation seen as the PGA Tour and LIV battle for eyeballs in golf.

“Michael Johnson is a friend of mine,” Farah reiterates. “He's doing an amazing thing to create more in athletics. We've got to get athletics back on the map. “But if you look at that, that's purely done from sprint or 5K. We're talking about the distance here. We're going to go full out, we’ll do the marathon, half marathon and beyond. But really this event is for the mass, not just the elite level, for everyone and everyone. From kids to all the way through.”.

While Farah appears energised, he even teases his own participation, given the various levels of entry for the team aspect. Though it might seem unfair if Farah was not one of the elite runners in each team. The 41-year-old jokes that the lure of doing what he loves on an F1 circuit, the stage for one of his close friends Lewis Hamilton, also appeals.

“I'm going to have to get myself fit,” Farah chuckles. “My ideal track to race? It has to be Silverstone, just because, you know, that's where Lewis made history. “And so many other amazing drivers raced there. So yeah, I’d love to run there, but also Monaco, which might be the final.”.