Mumbai, Jan 17 (IANS): “Just break it down each mile” -- that's the advice Sir Mo Farah, one of the greatest track athletes ever, handed to the participants of the landmark 20th edition of the Mumbai Marathon, which will be held on Sunday.
The Somalia-born British runner Farah, who is the International Event Ambassador of the prestigious World Athletics Gold Label event in Mumbai, has recorded the 5,000m and 10,000m double at successive Olympics and World Championships. He also knows a thing or two about marathon running, having won the Chicago Marathon in 2018 and bagged bronze at the London Marathon the same year.
“Just break it down each mile. That is how I broke it down. I always told myself, get through this mile, and then the next, and then the next one. At the London Marathon, I was struggling from the get-go, it was going to be a tough day, but I wasn’t thinking I’ve got 42K to go, I was thinking get through each mile, break it down. And then once I got past halfway, I was like I’ve done more than half, so I’m good,” he said at a news conference on Friday ahead of the Mumbai Marathon.
The USD 389,524 prize money race will see an impressive line-up of global and domestic elite runners, including Ethiopia’s defending men’s and women’s champions Hale Lemi Berhanu and Aberash Minsewo.
The race will also see a record total of 63,000 participants across six different categories: marathon, half marathon, open 10K, Senior Citizens Run, Champions with Disabilities, and Dream Run, and Farah’s presence is bound to be an inspiration.
“We all have role models growing up, whether it’s parents or athletes…If I can give back to youngsters, one piece of advice to inspire them would be to enjoy the journey, be willing to make mistakes, and learn from them. If you haven’t made mistakes, if you haven’t lost any race, how will you learn? It’s important to have that journey,” he said.
“I am a big believer in giving back to the younger generations and charities. It is important for all of us to do our bit towards areas that need support,” Farah stated.