Britain's world 5,000 metres champion had been promised by his coach, Alberto Salazar, that if he won in Gateshead he would be rewarded with one of the scooters which he and his training partner Galen Rupp chanced across while they were out on a training run in Daegu during last month's World Championships.

"Mo was really taken with this scooter he saw someone riding past, and he asked if he could have a go on it," Salazar told insidethegames after watching Rupp set an Area record of 26min 48.00sec at the Samsung Diamond League meeting in Brussels last night.

"He 'tested' it for about quarter of an hour, and took all kinds of pictures," Salazar said.

"Mo even asked the guy riding it if he could buy it.

"But how was he going to get a scooter home on the plane?"

Farah will no longer have to worry about such logistical details, as the scooter will be waiting for him when he gets back to his new home in Portland, Oregon, where he has been based for the last year.

The Briton won easily from Brian Ollinger of the United States, clocking a time of 8min 37sec on the two-lap course at Gateshead's Quayside, and will fire the starting gun for tomorrow's Bupa Great North Run.

"I wanted to come back home and win," said Farah, a big Arsenal fan, who had received an ovation at the Emirates Stadium the previous weekend (pictured).


"It's nice to see so many people come and show their support.

"I've got a couple of weeks off now before starting the new season slowly. "

Farah had the option of contesting a Diamond League Trophy, with an accompanying cheque of $40,000 (£25,000/€29,000), in Brussels, but chose not to overextend himself at the end of what has been a long, hard season.

The title and cheque went to Ethiopia's Imane Merga, who took third in the World 5,000m but was disqualified for running part of the race on the infield.

Hannah England, the world 1500m silver medallist, beat fellow Briton Helen Clitheroe in the women's mile event, while in the men's mile former world champion Bernard Lagat, beaten to the world 5,000m gold by Farah, won in 4:06.

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey beat fellow Briton Christian Malcolm in the men's 100m, clocking 10.28sec, while Carmelita Jeter of the United States, who had completed a 100/200m Diamond race double in Brussels yesterday, won the 150m ahead of Britain's Anyika Onuora.

Walter Dix of the United States, who ran a personal best of 19.53 in the Brussels 200m won by Jamaica's Yohan Blake in 19.26, won the men's 150m ahead of Marlon Devonish.

Dix said: "I think I found some flaws in my race against Blake and it has made me more motivated for 2012."

In the final race of the day, four of the top five from Daegu lined up in the men's 110m hurdles, with newly-established world champion, Jason Richardson, winning in 13.16 ahead of fellow American David Oliver.

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