Sir Mo Farah’s 'Words of Wisdom' for TMM 2025 participants

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International Elite runners upbeat on setting new records, creating history

Having lost his father at the tender age of four and ferried into the UK illegally, Sir Mo Farah, one of the greatest distance runners whose name is etched in the annals of athletics, was all excited during his first visit to the ‘Maximum City’, a city that never sleeps and shared valuable tips for the thousands of participants of the upcoming Tata Mumbai Marathon 2025 and the athletics fraternity at large on Friday.

“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,” said the Somalia-born British runner Farah, while interacting with the media persons at press conference that was arranged by the Procamm International whose pace was set earlier during an interactive session that was chaired by noted race commentator Tim Hutchings, a former marathoner himself.

Known for his relentless drive and tactical brilliance on the track made him an unstoppable force, captivating fans worldwide, Farah who is the International Event Ambassador of the prestigious World Athletics Gold Label event in Mumbai, the global running icon also knows a thing or two about marathon running, having won the Chicago Marathon in 2018 and bronze at the London Marathon the same year.

“At the London Marathon, I was struggling from 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,” added Farah who earlier  became only the second athlete ever to achieve the rare double by winning the 5,000m and 10,000m double gold medals at successive Olympics (London 2012 and Rio 2016) and later at World Championships (Moscow 2013 and Beijing 2015) and completed his final championship on the track in 2017.  

He further said, “We all have role models growing up, whether it’s parents or athletes. If I can give back to youngsters, one 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”. 

Beyond his competitive success, Farah's contributions to athletics have been recognized with numerous honors. He was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2013 and was knighted in the 2017 New Year Honours for his services to the sport.

Away from the track, Mo is a Global Ambassador for Save The Children and Patron of the Bakhita Centre at St Mary's University. Most recently, he has taken on the role of National School Sport Champion for the Youth Sport Trust, actively supporting and encouraging young people to live healthy and active lives.

“I am a big believer of 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. 

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. 

Lemi who is eyeing a historic hat-trick this year had said, “My preparation for the Mumbai Marathon has been excellent, especially after Beijing. I’ve been focused on training and am aiming for my third win this Sunday. I have good experience with this course, and I believe my preparation gives me an advantage. I always listen to my coach and manager, following their program without deviation. Their guidance and my patience have been key to my progress. I’ve waited a long time for this moment, and I’m confident in delivering a strong performance on Sunday.”

Aberash Minsewo, 23, on the other hand, who won her maiden marathon in Mumbai last year, which remained her only race at that distance, is confident of getting another title in the face of the challenge from her countrymates at ease.  The experienced Eshete and the dark horse Genemo may have other ideas to pull a surprise on the race day. Speaking ahead of the race day, Minsewo said, "Last year was a learning curve, but now I feel much more prepared, and that has made a big difference. My preparation this year has been very strong, and I’m feeling confident about the race on Sunday. I know the course well, and I believe that will help me get a good result. When I first came to India, I didn’t know what to expect, but now I feel ready to deliver a great performance.”

The first three finishers in both the Men's and Women's categories will receive USD 50,000, $25,000, and $15,000 from the prize pot of USD 389,524. A reward of USD 15,000 also awaits those who break the existing event records in their respective categories. Ethiopians Hayle Lemi Berhanu (2:07:32) and Anchialem Haymanot (2:24:15) have held the event records since 2023.

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 like the philanthropy and social good initiative that has been core to TMM and has raised over INR 400 crore for numerous causes since its inception, impacting millions of lives.

Photo Cover: Sir Mo Farah (3rd from Right) poses with Indian Elite athletes Nirmaben Thakor, Shyamali Singh, Mann Singh, Srinu Bugatha and Gopi Thonakal (Photos by Ashok Dhamija)

Photo Above: TMM 2025, Men’s International top elite athletes, (L to R), Defending Men Champion - Lemi Berhanu , Bazezew Asmere and Philemon Rono along with Women  reigning Champion Abersh Minsewo, Shuko Genemo, and Shitaye Eshete pose for a group photo

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