1 week Ago By [email protected] (Tom Sunderland)
British athletics icon Sir Mo Farah is once again in the spotlight as the approaches on Sunday. And fans are fondly recalling ' playful nine-word quip to the star. Although Farah, 42, has participated in the London Marathon on four occasions, victory has eluded him in this particular event.
His most notable performance in the capital's prestigious race came in 2018 when he secured third behind the Kenyan colossus Eliud Kipchoge and Ethiopia's Shura Kitata Tola. Farah asserted his dominance over slightly shorter distances, where he clinched gold in both the 10,000-metre and 5,000m races at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics. He stepped away from track events in 2017 to concentrate on marathons, though he did briefly attempt a track return ahead of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
Following his memorable Olympic double on home ground more than 10 years ago, Farah was honoured with a CBE medal to add to his collection. And it was during this proud occasion that King Charles made a light-hearted comment about Farah's impressive haul of track trophies. "I never in my life imagined coming to Buckingham Palace," he said after receiving the award, per "I remember running past it in the mini-marathon as a kid when I was 13 and thinking it was so beautiful and taking pictures of the lion, so coming inside and receiving this award is great.
" "Prince Charles said, 'You must be getting sick of so many medals,' and to hear someone like the Prince of Wales knows who you are is just brilliant. I'm not tired of it at all, I just want to make my country proud and collect as many medals in my career as I can." Farah - who was born in Somaliland but trafficked to London when he was nine - is hailed as Britain's greatest long-distance runner.
And his status was further solidified by his consecutive double golds in London and Rio. Other notable long-distance athletes who have donned the Team GB colours include Paula Radcliffe and Steve Way. Radcliffe, a former marathon world champion, comes closest to rivalling Farah's achievements, though she doesn't quite match Mo's extraordinary success on foot.
King Charles has a special connection with the London Marathon, having been associated with the event since its earliest days. When he was still Prince Charles, he famously started the inaugural race in 1981, bestowing Royal support from the outset. Over the years, the Royal Family has either taken part or endorsed the Marathon every step of the way.
This tradition continues today, although Charles has naturally stepped back since becoming King in 2022. It's noteworthy that the marathon's finish line has traditionally been at Buckingham Palace. And King Charles even sanctioned a study on the grounds of Windsor Castle to determine the official marathon distance (26 miles and 385 yards).
Beyond his Olympic triumphs, Farah is also a six-time world champion, having dominated his events from 2011 to 2017. He replicated his double-double Olympic success at the World Championships in 2013 (Moscow) and 2015 (Beijing), clinching gold in both the 10,000m and 5,000m events once more. The seasoned athlete is now devoting more time to his Run with Mo YouTube series, featuring guests like Arsene Wenger, KSI and Jimmy Carr, among others.
However, none of the names quite compare to rubbing elbows with the Royal Family at Buckingham Palace..
