Ethiopia's Kenenisa Bekele (right) leads Britain's Mo Farah (left) as they charge to the finish line of the Great North Run half marathon in South Shields, near Newcastle in northeast England on Sept 15, 2013. Bekele won the race. (IAN MACNICOL / AFP)

Ethiopian long-distance runner Kenenisa Bekele believes Mo Farah has struggled to flourish in the marathon events at the highest level and said he was not surprised by the Briton’s decision to return to the track.

I am not surprised. Of course if you see Mo Farah’s races in the marathons, he’s struggling. You need experience. It’s a different course, different racing mentality, so I think he made a good choice.

Kenenisa Bekele, Ethiopian long-distance runner

Bekele, the second-fastest marathon runner of all-time, will take on world record holder Eliud Kipchoge at April’s London Marathon.

Meanwhile, Farah has scrapped plans to compete over the distance and will now chase a fifth Olympic track gold in the 10,000 meters race at this year’s Tokyo Games.

When asked about Farah’s decision to leave the marathon, Bekele told a media conference call: “I am not surprised. Of course if you see Mo Farah’s races in the marathons, he’s struggling.

“You need experience. It’s a different course, different racing mentality, so I think he made a good choice.

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“It is really hard for all of us - the marathon is not easy. You need to learn how to run the marathon and also the training is different.”

Farah, who had retired from track athletics to focus on the marathon in 2017, broke the European record with his win at the 2018 Chicago Marathon but failed to impress in both London and Chicago last year.

The 36-year-old recently said that watching the 10,000 meters final at the world championships last October made him realize he had unfinished business with the track.

“If he focuses and concentrates like before, I’m sure he will be in the medals in the 10,000. I’ve no doubt about that,” Bekele added.

Bekele produced a stunning 2:01:41 run in Berlin last September but missed the marathon world record by two seconds.

He said the sight of Kipchoge’s completing at sub-two hour marathon run in Vienna last October, albeit in an unofficial event, has inspired him to break the world record even at the age of 37.

“When he ran under two hours, and of course it is not recognized, but it made me very motivated,” Bekele added.

“My big dream is to break the (official) world record and an amazing performance will happen at the London Marathon.”