AS MO FARAH, multiple world and Olympic champion, heads for Rio to defend his two Olympic titles, it is fascinating to consider just how different the world of long-distance running was around 100 years ago.
The modern Olympic Games were, of course, founded in 1896 and held in Athens, to honour the birthplace of the sporting festivals of Greek antiquity. The First World War of 1914-18 prevented the 1916 Games taking place but they were back in 1920 and 1924, the occasion celebrated in the film Chariots of Fire.
In Britain, the amateur code had gained dominance over professional athletics following the formation of the Amateur Athletic Association in 1880. Yet the ‘pros’ clung on, their ranks frequently swollen by the absorption of former amateurs busted for infringing the strict regulations relating to expenses and prizes.