Hotel robbery takes edge off Farah’s marathon preparation

Briton Mo Farah was given an unwelcome birthday surprise when he was robbed at his hotel in Addis Ababa last month, putting a damper on what he said had been an otherwise perfect preparation for Sunday’s London Marathon.

Farah, third last year and facing a monumental challenge if he is to be able to beat world record holder and defending champion Eliud Kipchoge, said he had completed a really good block of training in Ethiopia.

“I couldn’t have asked for better,” he said. “There were just a couple of things.”

Asked to expand, the multiple Olympic and world champion over 10,000 metres and 5,000m on the track, said: “There was a problem at the hotel. Someone went into my bag and took some money and took a present my wife had got me, so that was disappointing when I’d been staying there so long.”

“It was on my birthday,” added Farah, who turned 36 on March 23 and won the Chicago Marathon last year.