Four-time Olympic champion Mo Farah will present medals to finishers at the Samarkand Marathon in Uzbekistan on November 8.
As an “ambassador” for the event, Farah will welcome participants, get the race started and meet the winners, according to the Uzbekistan Art and Culture Development Foundation, which is organizing the marathon.
“Guys, I’ll see you at the start line,” Farah says in a social media video.
The British long-distance runner won the 10,000-meter and 5,000-meter titles at the Olympic Games in London in 2012 and then won the same races at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. He was also a six-time world champion. He later moved from the track to marathons, winning the 2018 Chicago Marathon in 2:05:11, a European record at the time.
Farah was knighted for his accomplishments. He currently promotes youth sports and urges young people to be physically active for at least one hour a day.
The Samarkand Marathon starts and finishes at the city’s historic Registan Square, and the route passes by ancient mosques and other landmarks. The race is certified under the standards of World Athletics, the international governing body of the sport.
International interest in the marathon is growing, according to Uzbekistan’s Tourism Committee. It said more than 1,500 participants from 63 countries have registered this year.
