Four-time Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah was named 2017 BBC Sports Personality of the Year at Liverpool’s Echo Arena on Sunday.
The 34-year-old was the third favourite coming into evening but finally won the award after a previous best finish of third in 2011.
Farah claimed a third consecutive world 10,000 metres title in London in August, despite almost falling over twice in the final.
He also won 5,000m silver at the World Championships, and received his knighthood from the Queen in November.
On a night of surprises at the SPOTY awards, Northern Ireland’s World Superbikes champion Jonathan Rea finished second and para-athlete Jonnie Peacock was third.
“I didn’t see this coming, I thought I wasn’t going to win it,” Farah told BBC Radio 5 Live. “You look at this year and Jonnie Peacock, Anthony Joshua, Lewis Hamilton, it’s been incredible. When you see that list and put yourself in there, you think, ‘I might finish top three, maybe’.
“Having come so close after London 2012, I thought that was my best chance of winning. I just thought, ‘Mate, this thing is hard to win!'”
Manchester City teenager Phil Foden was named Young Sport Personality of the Year.
The first prize of the night, the Helen Rollason Award, was presented to the parents of Bradley Lowery by England manager Gareth Southgate and striker Harry Kane.
Bradley, a Sunderland fan who appeared as a mascot at several games, captured hearts throughout the football world before dying from a rare form of cancer this July, aged just six.
Bradley’s parents, Carl and Gemma, thanked the British public for “helping them get out of bed” as they deal with their son’s death.
Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill was given a Lifetime Achievement prize.
The three-time world heptathlon champion, and gold medallist at the London Olympics in 2012, said she was “incredibly proud” of her career and thanked her coach Toni Minichiello, support staff, family and husband Andy.
The much sought-after Team of the Year prize was won by the England Women cricket team – a fitting tribute to their superb victory at the World Cup in July, which was also marked in Sunday’s show by star bowler Anya Shrubsole being among the 12 nominees for the top prize.
The Coach of the Year award was shared by Benke Blomkvist, Stephen Maguire and Christian Malcolm, who helped Great Britain’s men’s 4x100metres relay quartet claim gold at the World Athletics Championships in London.
In between the awards for Foden and Ennis-Hill, Denise Larrad won the Unsung Hero Award for her voluntary work in getting the people of Hinckley, in Leicestershire, more active.
As was previously announced, Roger Federer claimed the Overseas Sports Personality award, for a record fourth time, after victories at the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
SPOTY winners
Sports Personality of the Year – Sir Mo Farah (second, Jonathan Rea; third, Jonnie Peacock)
Young Sports Personality of the Year – Phil Foden
Lifetime Achievement – Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill
Helen Rollason Award – Bradley Lowery
Overseas Sports Personality of the Year – Roger Federer
Coach of the Year – Benke Blomkvist, Stephen Maguire and Christian Malcolm
Team of the Year – England women’s cricket team
Get Inspired Unsung Hero – Denise Larrad
