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BEIJING (AP) — Only seven years ago, Mo Farah was daydreaming about winning a medal — just one, any color.
On Saturday, the British distance runner was on the track posing with Usain Bolt at the Bird's Nest as the friends continue to collect gold by the bagful.
With his runaway victory in the 5,000 meters, Farah now has five world titles in as many major races dating back to the same event in Daegu in 2011. He's also got two from the 2012 London Olympics.
"If you would have said to me seven years ago you'll have one medal, I'd say OK," Farah said.
Bolt, he's not — with his high-pitched voice, wiry frame and ever cheerful demeanor. But to any long-distance runner out there, Farah is just as formidable.
The way he won Saturday's 5,000 was almost ho-hum. The early pace was so slow that he sat back in last place for the first two kilometers, even veering away to grab some drinks during the race to deal with the 28-degree C (82-degree F) temperature.
With the experience of a 32-year-old veteran, he moved up by midway. When Caleb Ndiku made a dash for victory with two laps to go, Farah quickly settled into his slipstream and then overtook him with ease in the finishing straight.
Another gold in the pocket.
As much as he had been yearning for medals early in his career, now something else is gnawing at his heart — the sense of family. The loneliness of a long-distance runner training in remote areas is starting to wear him down.
"Definitely been hard. Never easy," Farah said. "The other day I was speaking to my daughter and she thinks I have another home somewhere else. She said: 'Daddy, I'm coming to your home.'"
His preferred address next year: the Engenhao in Rio de Janeiro, where there are two more gold medals up for grabs in next year's Olympics.
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Raf Casert can be followed on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/rcasert
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