Mo Farah bows out of indoor athletics with European record

Farah, Britain's four-times Olympic champion, plans to focus on road racing after the outdoor world championships in London in August when he will say his final farewell to the track.

The 33-year-old was helped to break the indoor mark at the Birmingham Indoor Arena in what became a two-way duel with Kenyan Albert Rop, who stretched him over the final two laps.

It was a fitting way for Britain's most successful long-distance runner to end his indoor career - and a marked improvement on his only other appearance this season, when he came seventh in a cross-country event in Edinburgh last month.

"I knew from Edinburgh I needed to do some work," he told the BBC.

Farah shaved almost two seconds off the European record - and more than 12 off the previous British best - after pacemaker Adam Clarke had taken the 11-man field through a fast opening to the race.

Urging the crowd to raise the noise levels, Farah exuded his trademark calmness as he tucked in behind Rop for the final stages.

He hit the front with two laps to go before extending his lead, much to the joy of the large crowd.

Farah did not realise he had broken the record but paid tribute to the support he has received during his stellar career, in which he has won the Olympic 5,000 and 10,000-metres double twice.

"The crowds have been so good for me over the years. I will miss it," he said. "I can't quite believe it's my last race."

Meanwhile, Laura Muir broke the British record in the 1,000m in a stunning performance.

Muir won the race in a new British record of 2:31:93, taking over a second off the previous mark set by Dame Kelly Holmes in 2004.

"I wanted to come away with a win on home soil but to break Kelly's record, I'm so chuffed, and I was not far away from the world record, so I am really pleased," Muir told the BBC.

"The crowd were huge, I couldn't hear myself breathing they were so loud.

"It is every athlete's dream to be injury free and running as well as I am. Hopefully I can carry this sort of form into the summer.

"I'm in the best shape I can be so I'm hoping to win some medals in Belgrade."