Steve Jones admitted on Thursday that he was resigned to losing his 29-year-old British marathon record to Mo Farah in Sunday's Virgin Money London Marathon.
The Welshman, who once set world records for both the marathon and half-marathon, has remained unchallenged at the top of the British all-time rankings since he clocked 2 hr 7 min 13 sec to win the Chicago Marathon in 1985. No one has even come within a minute of his mark.
But the 58-year-old admitted his reign as Britain's fastest ever marathon runner was probably coming to an end after Farah confirmed earlier this week that he was intent on adding Jones's record to his collection of British marks.
"It wouldn't be a surprise to anyone if he went out and shattered the British record," said Jones.
"It wouldn't surprise me if he won the race as well. He's going to go down as one of the great British runners of all time. He's probably going to get the British records from 1500 metres to the marathon, and why wouldn't he go out and try to win the race as well?
Farah, who already holds British records in the 1,500m, 5,000m, 10,000m and half-marathon, has admitted he would be disappointed not to finish well inside Jones's time and plans to run the first half of Sunday's race at sub-2 hr 5 min pace.
"I think the only unknown is whether he can get from A to B," said Jones. "I was never afraid of the marathon and I can't see any reason why Mo would have any fear. I'm just a journeyman runner compared with Mo. I don't see why he shouldn't have the same kind of confidence."
Jones, who won his only London Marathon title five months before he set his British record, now lives in Colorado but is back in the capital to watch Sunday's race as a guest of the London Marathon organisers.
"Records are made to be broken," he said. "We've had some good 10,000m runners over the years but nobody's translated it to the marathon. Why, I don't know. I'm surprised but I'm glad I still have that connection to the UK, I suppose. I hope it does last a little bit longer."
Meanwhile, Kenyan Wilson Kipsang has sent a warning to Farah by suggesting that, if the conditions are right, Sunday's race could be quicker than his own world record of 2-03-23, which he set in Berlin in September.
"If the weather is good, with a strong field, a world record is very possible," said Kipsang, who added that he did not consider Farah a big threat on his marathon debut.
"I think the only unknown is whether he can get from A to B," said Jones. "I was never afraid of the marathon and I can't see any reason why Mo would have any fear. I'm just a journeyman runner compared with Mo. I don't see why he shouldn't have the same kind of confidence."
Jones, who won his only London Marathon title five months before he set his British record, now lives in Colorado but is back in the capital to watch Sunday's race as a guest of the London Marathon organisers.
"Records are made to be broken," he said. "We've had some good 10,000m runners over the years but nobody's translated it to the marathon. Why, I don't know. I'm surprised but I'm glad I still have that connection to the UK, I suppose. I hope it does last a little bit longer."
Meanwhile, Kenyan Wilson Kipsang has sent a warning to Farah by suggesting that, if the conditions are right, Sunday's race could be quicker than his own world record of 2-03-23, which he set in Berlin in September.
"If the weather is good, with a strong field, a world record is very possible," said Kipsang, who added that he did not consider Farah a big threat on his marathon debut.
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