SOUTHAMPTON runner Mahamed Mahamed has his sights on setting a new marathon record for British runners after clocking in the quickest London Marathon time.
Mahamed, 28, finished 10th in Sunday's London Marathon in two hours six minutes and 14 seconds, a new record for British athletes at the event.
His record-breaking pace has been overshadowed by the monumental achievements of the winner, Sebastian Sawe, and the runner-up, Yomif Kejelcha.
The pair clocked in at under two hours, with Sawe finishing after one hour, 59 minutes and 30 seconds, breaking the official competition record.
Mahamed, who has long desired to set the fastest marathon time from a British athlete, remains just short of Sir Mo Farah's current record.
Farah, now retired, ran the 2018 Chicago Marathon in two hours, five minutes and 11 seconds, 63 seconds quicker than Mahamed's record London Marathon speed.
"Building up to London, I had Ramadan again. I had a couple of problems with my body; my knees were under a bit of pressure," Mahamed told BBC South Today.
"On the starting line, I forgot about everything. My mind just focused on the race and completing it.
"It was unbelievable, it was a historic day. I'm definitely proud of myself and what I have done. I felt really strong.
"The condition was perfect, and the pacing was absolutely all spot on. I just felt strong. I was training for six or seven months just for the London Marathon.
"I was really, really happy. As soon as the gun went off, I felt good, and I just wanted to stick with the pacer. From 5k onwards, I wanted to push harder.
"When I look at my time of 2:06, and someone is running sub two hours, I feel as though I'm slow," he added with a smile.
"At the same time, it was a historic day. Now my target is to break the British record. I want to run a 2:03 or 2:04 marathon.
"Hopefully, we can achieve that goal. I think the athletes who broke the sub-two-hour marathon believed in themselves and their training.
"If I believe in myself and the process, I think it will be achievable."
Mahamed will be in attendance for Sunday's Southampton Marathon, cheering on participants from the start podium and finish line.
Share