Mo Farah was the first to cross the finishing line at the Cutty Sark in London’s newest half-marathon yesterday (March 4).

The four-time Olympic champion finished in 61.40 for the inaugural Vitality Big Half, which started at London Bridge.

The race snaked through the streets of Tower Hamlets and Southwark, passing through Lewisham before finishing at the iconic site in Greenwich.

More than 11,000 people took part in the half-marathon, many from each borough the race went through, but the Olympic champion raced ahead alongside Kenya’s Daniel Wanjiru and Great Britain’s Callum Hawkins.

The three finished first, second and third respectively, with Farah being full of praise for the crowd and his competitors.

He said: “It was great to be back in London in front of these crowds; I’m in decent shape so it was good to have a hard race here today.”

The snow had finally stopped by the time the race started but it was still bitterly cold, although that didn’t bother Mo.

“I knew it was going to be cold but the conditions were ok in the end,” he said. “It’s 25C every day in Ethiopia but you have to make it work and run the race no matter what the conditions.”

The Vitality Big Half was part of a new one-day festival centred around the half marathon distance, and included a variety of free activities at the end of the race.