Garrett Heath wins Great Edinburgh, defeats Mo Farah

It’s not often that the words “Mo Farah was defeated” are spoken.

But on Saturday morning (Saturday afternoon local time), American distance athlete Garrett Heath took the Great Edinburgh International Cross-Country Challenge 8K race over the two-time double Olympic champion.

Saturday’s victory was Heath’s third win in as many years in the Scottish capital. The winning time was 25:29 with Farah two seconds back finishing in 25:31 in wet and cool conditions in Edinburgh.

“I didn’t expect to win, Mo is such a great runner and I kept waiting for him to kick past me down the final stretch,” Heath told BBC in a post-race interview.

It was certainly muddy work for the triumphant @BritAthletics team in Edinburgh today #mudisgood pic.twitter.com/yUeKNYs1Ky

— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) January 9, 2016

Heath’s previous two victories in 2014 and 2015 came in the shorter 4K-race. Heath defeated 5,000m and 10,000m record holder Kenenisa Bekele in the 4K in 2014.

“It is disappointing to lose but better to lose now than later in the year. I couldn’t really sprint – it was very slippery,” Farah told BBC Sport.

RELATED: Weekend roundup: Late season cross-country and road races.

The 30-year-old Brooks athlete entered Saturday’s race having won the USATF National Club Cross Country Championships in San Francisco on Dec. 12.

According to his post-race interview, Farah will be heading to Ethiopia for a warm-weather training camp before returning to Europe for the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix.

Congrats @_garrettheath & @scottfaubs on going 1-3 at #GEXC2016! ???????? pic.twitter.com/jd4ONcBtKP

— USATF (@usatf) January 9, 2016

Chris Lotsbom of Race Results Weekly noted the staggering number of elite athletes that Heath has managed to defeat in his career.

Athletes that @_garrettheath has beat: - Mo Farah - Kenenisa Bekele - Asbel Kiprop - Silas Kiplagat - T. Longosiwa - A. Choge - J. Birech

— Chris Lotsbom (@ChrisLotsbom) January 9, 2016

Kate Avery, who represented Great Britain on Saturday, recorded her first senior international victory in the women’s race at Holyrood Park in Edinburgh winning the 6K in 21:31.

“He’s still my biggest supporter. I am sure he was pushing me round out there – that’s why I ran so well,” Avery told BBC Sport commenting on the recent death of her father.

RELATED: Racing news: Sunday’s Pioneer 8K loaded with Canadian distance talent.

Straight on the @BBCOne for @KateAvery12 & @JDE66 has the right idea wrapped up in the rain #GEXC2016 pic.twitter.com/NsqLXV8b3s

— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) January 9, 2016

The race format was similar to that of a dual meet where the three teams, the United States, Europe, and Great Britain and Northern Ireland, competed for the aggregate team title across the men’s and women’s races on Saturday.

Great Britain and Northern Ireland won with 125 points ahead of Europe (197 points) and the United States (232), according to Athletics Weekly.