Teddington-based European cross country champion Mo Farah, who celebrated his 24th birthday the previous day, produced an outstanding run at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa, Kenya, on Saturday.

Farah was 10th, and the first non-African, to lead Great Britain to eighth best team in the senior men's 12km race.

"It was the hardest race I have ever been in," said Farah, the modest runner named as British athlete of 2006.

"When I stood on the start line today, I didn't have a clue where I might finish.

"I was just thinking I wanted to run well. And it is the best I have run for a long time."

Farah who finished 37th and 40th in his previous two World Cross races as a senior - paced himself patiently in the sapping heat over a narrow, twisting course that made overtaking tiring and difficult.

He was 68th after 2km, but moved up to 55th after 4km, 38th at halfway, 21st after 8km and 15th after 10km.

He maintained his momentum on the last lap to gain another five places.

Farah had suffered two big setbacks on his way to Mombasa. A crashing fall in his 3,000m heat at the European Indoor Championships in Birmingham left him too battered and bruised to do himself justice in the final.

Then he spent two days ill in bed after flying from Birmingham to the UK Athletics' World Cross Preparation Camp in Durban, South Africa.

Farah said: "I have had a good winter and after winning the Euro Cross, I wanted to do well indoors. My fall in Birmingham made me more determined to do well in Mombasa.

"Although I missed three days' training in Durban, the last 10 days went well."

Farah's coach Alan Storey, the team leader, said: "I thought Mo would have to run fairly well to be 20th. To finish 10th was outstanding."

Hampton-based Mike Skinner, was the second British finisher in 62nd place and, like Farah, improved his placing on each of the six laps.

Making his fifth appearance in major international championships, Skinner said: "It was the most memorable event I have participated in.

"We spoke a lot beforehand about the conditions but, when we pulled up at the course, it was more than any of us anticipated. It made the hairs on the back of your neck stand up.

"As a team we ran well, just as we had listened to advice as a team.

"We picked up places all the way through the race and I don't believe many people expected us to be eighth."