Athletics: ‘Tired’ Twell second in London 10k

File photo of Steph Twell. Picture: onEdition

The Scot, priming herself for success on the track this summer, was just a minute outside her personal best in 33:34 as fellow Great Britain international Katrina Wooton claimed victory.

But Twell admitted to tiredness, having come third in the Westminster Mile less than 24 hours earlier.

“I could feel a bit of fatigue in my legs after running yesterday and I think I set off at mile pace today, too,” she said. “It’s the first time I’ve done the race and I loved it. London is so scenic.

“My goal for the season is to get a qualifying time for the 5,000m at the World Championships in Moscow in August and my performance today is a great step towards that.”

Wootton led from the 2km mark and stretched away over the rest of the course to claim victory on her London 10,000 debut in 32:37, just 14 seconds outside the personal best she set four weeks ago. Twell clocked 33:34 in second with Emily Pidgeon another 12 seconds adrift.

In the men’s 10,000m race, double Olympic champion Mo Farah secured victory for the fifth year in a row.

Farah broke away from the domestic field at the two-kilometre mark and crossed the finish line at The Mall in a time of 29 minutes and 13 seconds.

The time was eight seconds quicker than the 5,000 metres and 10,000m Olympic champion managed in this event last year, but some way short of the 27mins 44secs British record he set in 2010. Farah, whose main focus for 2013 is repeating his Olympic double at the World Championships in Moscow this summer, said: “It was most important to win the race today, I wasn’t really looking for a time.

“It was really important to me to win my fifth title. Running in London is fun for me because I don’t often race here.

“But it’s going to get serious from here,” he added. “I’ve got my first real test next Friday at the Eugene Diamond League and I’m very excited about that. I’ve got to be ready for it. I’ve got to be more ready than I was last year.”

Phil Wicks finished second, coming in 52 seconds behind Farah, with Phil Nicholls another ten seconds back in third. “This was my first race since the London Marathon and I’m really pleased with my performance,” said Wicks afterwards.