July 30, 2021 10.00 am This story is over 32 months old

Lincolnshire’s ‘Mo Farah’ goes for Olympic glory in the men’s 10,000m

You can do it, Sam!
Sam Atkin will represent Team GB in the 10,000m race at the Olympics in Tokyo, but it all started in Lincolnshire.

All eyes will be glued to screens this afternoon as Lincolnshire long distance runner Sam Atkin competes in the men’s 10,000m final at the Tokyo Olympic Games.

Sam, from Grimsby, will no doubt be feeling nervous this morning as he prepares for the race of his life at 12.30pm, in an event that Sir Mo Farah famously won two gold medals in at the 2016 and 2012 Olympics.

But whatever the outcome, Sam has already done his parents, and his country, proud.

Speaking to The Lincolnite earlier this month, Sam’s parents told how he joined Grimsby Harriers at a young age, winning every race he ran in, before eventually moving onto Lincoln Wellington at the age of 15 because he was getting so quick that he would win adult races.

His next big step came at 18-years-old, when he was offered a scholarship in Idaho in the United States of America.

Sam currently lives and trains in Idaho, meaning his contact with his family has been limited, particularly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sam qualified for the Olympic Games in dramatic fashion, after narrowly missing out on the 5,000m qualifying time, which is his preferred event, but then went on to run the now 5th fastest 10k in UK history.