Sir Mo has never finished higher than third at the annual awards, most surprisingly this year after he became only the second man to complete a ‘double-double’ of Olympic titles in 5,000 metres and 10,000m titles.

Following his success in both events in his home games of London 2012, Farah then completed the phenomenal feat at Rio 2016.

Sir Andy Murray was voted the winner of the award for a record third time.

The 2013 and 2015 winner, took Olympic gold, claimed his second Wimbledon title and became tennis' world number one in a remarkable year.

Triathlete Alistair Brownlee was second and show jumper Nick Skelton third after they also both won gold in Rio.

“It was a bit weird,” said Sir Mo who was speaking ahead of the Great Edinburgh XCountry today.

“I just thought: ‘Oh, I might have been in the top three'.

“You do think a little bit like ‘What can you do’?

“But it’s racing and winning medals for my country, and as long as I keep doing that, that’s what drives me.

“No one can take away what I have achieved.

"That means more than anything else – and putting my GB vest on.”

Others to miss out on the top three included Rio 2016 boxing gold medallist Nicola Adams, dominant cyclists Laura and Jason Kenny, who won five golds in Rio between them, and Gymnast Max Whitlock who won the pommel horse and floor exercise golds in the Brazilian city.

Sir Mo also declared his appreciation for Brownlee after he claimed he was shocked that the runner had only finished in the top three once, back in 2011.

“Alistair is an amazing athlete – and I have a lot of respect for him to come out and say what he needed to say," Sir Mo said.

“If I had a vote I would have voted for him, for sure, because that memory of him picking up his brother really touched me.”