Mo Farah collapses at NY Half Marathon..............

Often we see running shows organsied …. Running is a good exercise…but those of us over 40 years of age and not given to any form of exercise, running even for a very short distance could be a challenge. This post is something on one at New York………. In news for wrong reasons !!

Pheidippides was reportedly sent to Sparta to request the help when Persians landed at Marathon, Greece.  He is believed to have run 240 km in two days.  Then he ran 40 km from the battlefield to Athens to announce the Greek victory over Persia in the Battle of Marathon (490 BC); he collapsed and died of exhaustion. And the long distance running event was named after – this is usually a distance of  42.195 kilometres (26 miles and 385 yards), run as a road race. Apart from the ones conducted at Olympics and major athletic events, marathons are associated with charities i.e., run for a charity or cause rather than the prize money !  A half marathon is more famous and more frequently conducted one…..

A half marathon is a road running event of 21.0975 kilometres (13.1094 mi) ~ it is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons attracts more numbers as people think that it does not  require the same level of training that a marathon requires. We get to hear of many Half Marathon in various parts of the globe. National Stroke Association is a 2014 charity partner of the NYC Half marathon and  supports a team of runners taking on 13.1 miles through New York City—including iconic Times Square. As  a member of the 2014 NYC Half Stroke Challenge team, people were to support compelling education and programs focused on prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and support for all impacted by stroke.

Heard of ‘Mobot; - the unique victory celebration… the man behind it, adopted the move following a television appearance in May 2012 opposite sports presenter Clare Balding on the panel game show A League of Their Own. The host James Corden suggested to the panelists that they should think of a new dance to mark winning celebration, and Balding subsequently came up with the "M" gesture called "Mobot". While demonstrating it for the first time, she indicated that the part of the move intended to represent the "M" in "Mo" was inspired by the dance of  a popular song by the Village People.

The man is : Mohamed "Mo" Farah CBE, a Somali-born British international track and field athlete in the long distance and middle-distance. He is the current 10,000 metres Olympic and World champion and 5000 metres Olympic, World and European champion.  On the track, he generally competes over 5000 m and 10,000 m, but also runs the 3000 metres and occasionally the 1500 metres, over which distance Farah is the British and European record holder. Farah holds the European track record for 10,000 m, 1500 m and Two Miles, the British indoor record in the 3000 m, the British track record for 5000 m, the British half-marathon record, and the European indoor record for 5000 m.  Mobot is Farah’s way of celebrating victories……

At NY Half marathon, the Olympic hero, father-of-three fell around the six-mile mark but carried on gamely and finished second after a sprint finish to the line……………… but shortly after Farah finished the race, he collapsed; was helped into a wheelchair and rushed to hospital.  It is reported that at the  finish line he temporarily lost consciousness in the freezing conditions.  Interviewed afterwards, Farah said: 'I feel good. I just tried so hard in the race. It's not a big deal. 'When I fell, I fell pretty hard. I told myself "don't rush" but when I saw the gap, the gap was big. Conditions here today were very cold. London won't be as cold as this.  The winner was Geoffrey Mutai.

Farah is due to return to Kenya on Tuesday for two more weeks of training under the tutelage of his coach, Alberto Salazar, before coming back to Britain ahead of his marathon debut. The Somalian-born 30-year-old was strong enough to pass and hold off third-placed Stephen Sambu from Kenya in a sprint to finish behind winner Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya in 61mins 8secs. The 13.1-mile race was Farah's first competitive outing since the Great North Run last September, but comes just four weeks before the Briton makes his much-anticipated full debut in the London Marathon on April 13.

Before the race, Farah said he was due to have a brief reunion with his wife and three daughters in New York before flying back to Kenya on Tuesday to complete his preparations for next month's full marathon debut in London. Missing the family is part of training hard and  he is quoted as saying - 'It's what it takes to be a champion. I wish I could just sit in my house and do stuff with them, but I wouldn't have achieved what I have. My kids are lucky to have a nice place and we can buy them nice stuff. I guess it takes sacrifice to be a champion.'

With regards – S. Sampathkumar

16^th Mar 2014.

Inputs from various news sources – primarily Daily Mail.