As well as real-life fans in the Manchester Regional Arena, there are cardboard cut-outs dotted around in the stands showing their support for Mo.

All the support is working a treat, they need to cover 2,000m in about five and a half minutes and they step through in... 5:30.34. Phew.

Farah is getting plenty of help from his fellow athletes, too. Australia's Ryan Gregson is setting the pace and training partner Bashir Abdi is just in front of Farah.

Farah had an ankle injury when he failed to make the qualifying time in Birmingham at the beginning of the month.

It is early days, but the 38-year-old is looking solid so far. Australia's Ryan Gregson leads the pack through the first kilometre in 2:44.46. That's a safe pace at the moment.

Image source, Getty Images

Mo Farah nestles in just behind his training partner Bashir Abdi, a few paces behind Australian pacemaker Ryan Gregson.

Mo Farah raises his arms as he gets a cheer from the Manchester fans.

Alongside him and in exactly the same neon-heavy outfit is Belgian training partner Bashir Abdi. Abdi already has the qualifying time so should be focussing on helping Farah reach the mark tonight.

A reminder: the time he needs is 27 minutes 28 seconds.

Bashir Abdi (Bel)

Felix Bour (Fra)

Nekagenet Crippa (Ita)

Mo Farah (GB)

Ryan Gregson (Aus)

Zerei Kbrom (Nor)

Mahamed Mahamed (GB)

Finn McNally (GB)

David McNeil (Aus)

Paulos Surafel (GB)

Nils Voigt (Ger)

The athletes are on the line, here is everyone lining up alongside Mo Farah.

The TV cameras haven't shown Mo Farah taking to the track but form the cheering crowd, it would appear the British athletics legend is in sight.

Just a few minutes to go until his 10,000m race.

Allison Curbishley
BBC athletics expert on Radio 5 live

Mo is giving it one last shot. He doesn't need the tracksuit. He's going to go to Tokyo if he thinks he can win a medal.

He doesn't need to be in personal best shape. There are guys out there - particularly the Ugandans and Kenyans - thinking ‘we can beat this guy’ but you will never discount Mo Farah if he puts himself on the startline in Tokyo.

Farah was planning to retire after a track comeback in Tokyo, but that may have to be brought forward if he does not qualify.

The six-time world champion had spent the past three and a half years with his attention on the road but his switch to marathon did not bear fruit.

So he's back on the track, with one last chance to make it to the Olympics.

Allison Curbishley
BBC athletics expert on Radio 5 live

With Mo there is an air of invincibility that I think he might have lost a little bit.

He stepped on the track and it was almost like the seas parted. Athletes were scared of him, they didn’t know how to beat him.

It was never because he was the quickest athlete. He just has such an amazing racing brain on the track.

What people saw in Birmingham at the trials wasn't the Mo we're used to.

Jo Pavey
European 10,000m champion on BBC Radio 5 Live

With the 10,000m there are very few opportunities and it is difficult to get those races with the qualifying time because the conditions have to be good

The temperature will be ok. It’s whether the wind drops.

They’ve purposely held it at 21:35 in the evening because traditionally the wind really drops when the sun sets.

With 15 minutes to go until Mo Farah takes to the track, here is a reminder of the basics.

He needs to run 10,000m in 27 minutes and 28 seconds to qualify for the Olympics. That's about it really.

Allison Curbishley
BBC athletics expert on Radio 5 live

If Mo was worried he wouldn't be toeing the line tonight so I think we can take it the ankle injury he was battling with a couple of weeks back has now been dealt with.

If he was only scraping the qualifying time I don't think Mo would be very happy going to an Olympic Games.

Dina Asher-Smith claimed a superb 100m Diamond League victory against American star Sha'Carri Richardson in Gateshead last month and she's brought her speed to England's west coast it seems.

The 25-year-old has qualified fastest for Saturday's semi-finals with a time of 11.28 seconds, 0.11 clear of next fastest Daryll Neita.

In the men's 100m, European champion Zharnel Hughes won his heat in 10.50secs with Andrew Robertson also winning his heat.

In the women’s 400m hurdles, heat winners Jessie Knight (56.88secs), Jessica Turner, (56.96secs), Lina Nielsen (57.66secs) and Meghan Beesley (57.53secs) all progressed to Saturday’s final.

Farah isn't the only one in action today of course. It's been all go at the Manchester Regional Arena since 14:30 BST.

Steve Cram
BBC Sport athletics commentator

Mo Farah's European 10,000m Cup run in early June was his first 10,000m on the track since 2017.

He had an issue with his ankle and, from what I understand, that has been improving.

He has been out training at altitude in Font Romeu in France. Farah wouldn't be coming if he didn't think he had a good shot at it.

He has his Belgian training partner Bashir Abdi, who ran 27:24 earlier this month, to help pace him.

Farah will be taking to the track at 21:35 BST, so consider this your 30-minute warning.

Here's the story in case you're just joining Mo Farah's bid to reach a fourth Olympics.

We thought the 38-year-old's chances of representing Great Britain in the 10,000m might be over when he fell short of the qualifying mark in the European 10,000m Cup.

Farah had an ankle injury and finished eighth, behind fellow Briton Marc Scott, in a race that doubled as the Olympic trial.

His time of 27 minutes 50.54 seconds in Birmingham was more than 22 seconds short of the required time.

But he has until 27 June to make the time and so finds himself with one last chance this evening.

Image source, Getty Images

Twenty-seven minutes and 28 seconds. Enough time for an episode of Friends. To whip up a basic Spag Bol. Qualify for the Olympics?

Image source, Getty Images

That is the number Mo Farah is chasing at the British Championships this evening. If the four-time Olympic champion can cover 10,000m in 27:28, he's off to Tokyo.