EUGENE, Oregon: European champion Mo Farah shocked a world-class 10,000 meters field with a continental record 26 minutes, 46.57 seconds for a dramatic win at the Prefontaine Classic Diamond League meeting Friday. The Briton clipped nearly six seconds off Belgian Mohammed Mourhit's 1999 European mark of 26:52.30. “I want a world medal and it shows here that if I keep working hard I will be in the mix,” said Farah, who now trains in Oregon with Alberto Salazar. His previous best was 27:28.86. “I just set back and worked my way through,” said the 28-year-old who took the lead with three laps to go and pushed home hard for the surprising win. “I knew I had a chance for the record.” He beat top-ranked Eithiopian Imane Merga by more than 10 meters Merga clocked 26:48.35 with Josphat Bett third in 26:48.99. Kenyan world champion Vivian Cheruiyot won the women's 5,000 meters in 14:33.96, the fastest time ever in America. Compatriot Linet Masai, the 10,000 meters world champion, trailed by more than two seconds. World record holder Tirunesh Dibaba withdrew before the competition after a scan revealed the Ethiopian had a potential stress fracture in her right shin. Kenyan Moses Mosop easily broke 30-year-old track records for the rarely run 25,000 and 30,000 meters to open the distance carnival. The 2005 world 10,000 meters bronze medalist took more than two minutes off the longer race record, running one hour, 26 minutes, 47.4 seconds. The 25-year-old clocked one hour, 12 minutes and 25.4 seconds at the shorter distance. Japan's Toshihiko Seko set both previous records at Christchurch in March 1981. He ran 1:13:55.8 for 25,000 meters and 1:29:18.8 for the longer race.
