He narrowly hung on to eclipse Dave Moorcroft’s 1982 mark of 7:32.79.

“I was always targeting the record and knew it was on at 2km,” said the American-based Londoner, who hopes to defend his Olympic 5,000m and 10,000m titles in Rio de Janeiro this year.

“I’m in great shape but I just have to believe in myself - now it’s all about getting ready for Rio. I want to make history this summer but it isn’t going to be easy.

Mutaz Essa Barshim, the second best high jumper of all time thanks to his 2.43 metres effort in 2014, rediscovered something of his old form for the first time this year, producing a winning mark of 2.37m - the best achieved so far this season.

Barshim said ahead of the Rome Diamond League meeting - where he was sixth with 2.27m - that his coach was insisting on a cautious approach this season to ensure he did not burn himself out before the Rio Games.

“I don’t like it, but I have to do it,” he added.

If 2.37m is cautious, what might the Qatari manage in Brazil?

London 2012 silver medallist Erik Kynard of the United States was third with a season’s best of 2.35m, ahead of China’s Guowei Zhang, in 2.32m, and Britain’s world indoor silver medallist Robbie Grabarz.

“I came here to find my feeling and I believe I have managed to do that,” said Barshim.

“It feels good - I’m just happy to be able to jump to what I want.”

One of the longest and most distinguished unbeaten runs in recent athletics history came to an end today as Colombia’s double world triple jump champion Caterine Ibarguen, unbeaten since the London 2012 Olympic final, saw her total of successive wins ended at 34.

This followed a last round effort of 14.61m from Kazakhstan’s Olga Rypakova - the last woman to beat her.

After seeing her 14.51m overhauled by Ibarguen in Rome, the Olympic champion nevertheless remained confident, saying that she believed her attempts would get “longer and longer” and adding: “I do not think that Caterine is unbeatable.”

Actions spoke louder than words in the Alexander Stadium after Ibarguen had established a good-looking third round lead of 14.56m as the Kazakhstan jumper left it late before registering her season’s best distance, and the Colombian’s response, 14.53m, fell just short.

There were flourishing victories for three of Kenya’s leading athletes, all in the fastest times produced so far this season.

World and Olympic 800m champion David Rudisha won the rarely run 600m event in 1min 13.10sec, an African record, with France’s Pierre-Ambroise Bosse setting a European record of 1:13.21 in second place.

“I wish I had run a little quicker,” Rudisha said.

“To run 600m here was part of my plan for Rio - my form is coming along nicely.”

World 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop finished more than four seconds clear of the field in a meeting record of 3:29.33, the fastest run so far this year, with Morocco’s Abdelaati Iguider second in 3:33.10.

Conseslus Kipruto, dissatisfied with Thursday’s winning 3,000m steeplechase effort of 8: 01.41 in Rome despite the fact that it was the best time set so far this season, improved upon it with a meeting record of 8:00.12, finishing more than 10 seconds clear of his closest challenger.

While Farah rose to the home challenge, Britain’s other competing Olympic champion, long jumper Greg Rutherford - victorious in Rome with a season’s best of 8.31m - dipped to fifth with 8.17m as the honours went to Marquise Goodwin of the United States, who reached 8.42m.

Cuba’s world pole vault champion Yarisley Silva produced the best effort of 2016 so far as she cleared a Diamond League record of 4.84m.

In the women’s 800m - one of the most competitive events of the afternoon - Burundi’s IAAF World Indoor champion, for once not chasing home the figure of Caster Semenya, who was not racing in Birmingham, won in a meeting record of 1:56.92,  just 0.28 seconds off the former world champion’s 2016 best.

Behind her, four women broke the two minute barrier: Renelle Lamote of France, with a personal best of 1:58.01, Melissa Bishop of Canada, with a season’s best of 1:58.48, and Britain’s former European champion Lynsey Sharp with 1:59.29.

Britain’s European 400m hurdles champion Eilidh Doyle ran 54.57sec, just shy of the season’s best of 54.53 that won her the opening Diamond League race in Doha, to earn second place behind Cassandra Tate on a photo-finish after the American also clocked 54.53.

New Zealand’s double Olympic champion Valerie Adams, on the comeback route after last year’s shoulder and elbow surgery, is still having to take relatively conservative steps.

Having won in Rome with 19.69m, her 19.63m in Birmingham was only good enough for second place as Tia Brooks of the United States produced a personal best of 19.73m.

Another Olympic champion on the mend, discus thrower Robert Harting of Germany, produced a season’s best of 65.97m behind Poland’s Piotr Malachowski, who reached 67.50m.

Australia’s Olympic 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson got a reality check as she finished seventh in her opening competition of the season, clocking 13.25, as the first four places were occupied by the current inspired US generation.

Kendra Harrison took the win in 12.46 ahead of 2013 world champion Brianna Rollins, who clocked 12.57.

Grenada’s Olympic 400m champion Kirani James won in 44.23 ahead of Botswana’s Isaac Makwala, who recorded 44.97.

In the women’s 100m, English Gardner of the United States won in 11.02 ahead of the world 200m champion Dafne Schippers from The Netherlands, who ran 11.09.

The 40-year-old Kim Collins ran 10.11 to edge United States' Michael Rodgers and Britain's Chijindu Ujah to claim the men's 100m.