Farah clocked 27min 28.86sec to post the fastest time by a European runner over 25 laps of the track for nearly two years and he became the third fastest British runner ever.

 

It was a massive personal best in only his second race at the distance having run 27:44.54 in his debut two years ago.

 

He moved to the front in the early stages of the race, following the Kenyan pacemaker Philemon Limo, and went through the halfway point in 13:50.

 

There was already a gap of around 70 metres between Farah and the rest of the field and he kept on extending his lead in the second half of the race, passing 8,000m in 22:05.

 

A penultimate lap of 63 seconds, followed by a final circuit of 58 seconds saw the former European Cross Country Championships winner cross the line at least a lap in front of the rest of the 23 finishers apart from the three men immediately behind him.

 

"My main aim tonight was to get the qualifying time for the European Championships in Barcelona,"  said Farah, who had set a UK record for 10 kilometres on the road when winning the Bupa London 10,000m on Monday (May 31).

 

"I'm delighted to have done it and I feel like I have a lot more in the tank and can run much faster over the distance."

 

In a close race for the runners up spot, France's Abdellatif Meftah was second in 28:12.83 while Spain's 2009 winner Chema Martinez was third with 28:13.82, both men more than half a lap behind Farah.

 

Farah now has the option of doubling up at the European Championships next month, which will be held in Barcelona between July 26 and August 1 

 

He has previously said that his priority lies over 5,000m, the distance at which he got a silver medal four years ago, but his thoughts may have changed after his run on Saturday.

 

Monteiro, the 2009 Cup winner, took the women's race in a personal best of 31:13.58, slicing more than ten seconds off her previous best of 31:25.67 which she ran last year in the World Championships 10,000m final.

 

She finished ahead of Germany's Sabrina Mockenhaupt, who ran 31:23.86, with another Portuguese runner, Sara Moreira, third on her debut at the distance in 31:26.55.

 

 

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