Mo Farah became the latest Brit to add to Team GB's burgeoning medal haul, winning gold in the 10,000m on Saturday night.
In one of the marquee events in track and field, the 29-year-old, who ran for Newham and Essex Beagles athletics club before relocating to Portland, Oregon in the US, become the first British man to win at the distance in Olympic history.
Farah cross the line to the delight of the 80,000 crowd
In a stunning display of tenacity, talent and speed he beat Kenenisa Bekele, the Ethiopian 5,000m and 10,000m World and Olympic record holder.
His wife Tania, who is pregnant with twins, and daughter Rihanna came on to congratulate him on the track. Farah looked stunned but delighted as the crowd roared.
The packed stadium was already buzzing from Jessica Ennis's gold in the heptathlon and a surprise victory from Greg Rutherford in the long jump at the Olympic Stadium.
And Farah then rounded off an astonishing three triumphs in the space of 45 minutes with a blistering last lap in the 10,000m, completing it in 53 seconds to take gold ahead of American training partner Galen Rupp.
World 5,000m champion Farah had thought his race would not come down to the last lap as his rivals feared his sprinting speed, but in the end that was what happened and Farah hit the front at the bell to time his finish to perfection.
After his stunning run, Farah said it was the best day of his life. "I was born in Somalia but I moved to Britain as a kid. I grew up here, I went to school here... so to win it where I grew up is incredible."
Farah also spoke warmly of "his boy" Rupp, who he trains with in the US, and "plays computer games with".
Gallen reciprocated by saying he was "made up" for Farah, and was "so thankful" that he's had the opportunity to train with "the greatest distance runner in the world".
Earlier on Saturday, Ethiopia's two-time Olympic 10,000m champion Haile Gebrselassie predicted that the event would be a race between Farah and his fellow countrymen, with Kenenisa Bekele, the world and Olympic record holder in the 5,000m and 10,000m, the main threat to the Brit.
"It all depends on preparation,” Gebrselassie to the Press Association, adding: “The race will be between Bekele and Mo Farah."
Mo stormed the last 600m to take gold
Farah beat the Ethiopians at the World Championship in Daegu last year, winning the 5,000m. However, the Londoner narrowly missed out on the 10,000m crown, outpaced by the little-known Ibrahim Jeilan in the final few strides.
Following that disappointment, Farah’s preparation for London 2012 has been comprehensive, with coach Alberto Salazar working with his runner on the strengths and weaknesses of each of his opponents.
For Gebrselassie the big advantage for the Ethiopians is that they can work as a team against the lone Brit.
Mo took gold ahead of American training partner Galen Rupp
However, the former champion conceded that Farah and his coach run a very tactical race.
“The weaknesses from Ethiopia and Kenya, he knows very well,” Gebrselassie told PA.
"His training depends on our weakness, not our strength and that is smart.
"The Ethiopians and the Kenyans always attack on the last lap.
"Mo Farah has started attacking from before, from about 600m and 800m and that is a very smart idea.
"How can you better adjust to your opponent - it is from the side of his weakness and not his strength.
