BRITISH TAKE ON AMERICANS AT GREAT NORTH CITY GAMES
By David Monti
(c) 2011 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved. Used with permission.

GATESHEAD, ENGLAND (17-Sep) -- Teams from Great Britain and the United States will clash today at the Great North City Games here on the Quayside of the Tyne River. 

In the ten-event dual meet, each nation will be awarded one point for each discipline they win, and the overall meet title will be determined on total points.  The events, held partially on the road and a specially erected 180m straight Mondo track, include miles for men and women, 100m hurdles for women, two miles for men, 100m for men, 150m for men and women, long jump for men, pole vault for women, and 110m hurdles for men.

The meet includes several of the nations' top stars, including Bernard Lagat (mile); Dawn Harper and Danielle Carruthers (100h); Jenny Meadows, Hannah England and Helen Clitheroe (women's mile); Mo Farah (two-mile); Carmelita Jeter and Walter Dix (150m), Jason Richardson, David Oliver and Andy Turner (110h); and Dwight Phillips (long jump).

For Oliver and Phillips, it will be their first time competing in a "street meet."

"At the national championships they approached me (and said) come to this meet," Oliver said in a press conference here yesterday.  "A street race; I've never done that."

Phillips, a four-time world champion, was also intrigued:

"I said, 'Hey, that looks like fun."

The biggest star of the British team is double world championships medalist Mo Farah who will conclude his season here before returning to Portland, Ore, and taking a break from training.  He had toyed with running Sunday's Bupa Great North Run here, or last night's Samsung Diamond League final in Brussels (he was the points leader in the 5000m going into the meet and could have picked up $50,000 in prize money for a race and Diamond Race victory), but ultimately settled with coach Alberto Salazar on the two-mile here, essentially a victory lap to cap his season.

"I'm grateful for the support from everyone," Farah said here yesterday after doing a series of appearances since winning his two medals in Daegu.  "It's nice to be back in the U.K., see family."  He continued: "I'm looking forward to Saturday (today)."

Brendan Foster, the 1974 European 5000m champion whose company Nova International puts on the meet here today, holds the British track record for two miles: 8:13.68.  Farah said that mark was possible for him tomorrow, but unlikely.

"Saturday, I'll give it a go," Farah said half-heartedly.  "Yeah, I'm tired, my body is tired, but I'll give it a go.  It's my last race."