On February 12 local time, London Olympics men's 5000m and 10000m champion Mohamed Farah announced that he will kick off his 2015 outdoor racing season at the IAAF Gold Label Half Marathon in Lisbon on March 22.
Long-distance running star Farah
Event organizer Carlos Moia said: "We are very pleased to have Farah competing in the race for the first time." Although the field is small, it consists of elite athletes. Organizers hope that one of the participants will break the world record of 58 minutes and 23 seconds set by Eritrean long-distance runner Zersenay Tadese at this event in 2010.
Farah recorded the best time in this event during the 2014 BUPA Great North Run in the UK, finishing in 1 hour flat.
Farah’s main rivals in the Lisbon Half Marathon include Kenyan runner Stephen Kibet, whose personal best is 58:54; Silas Kipruto, with a best of 59:39; Ethiopian athlete Guye Adola, who has run 59:06; and Moroccan runner Aziz Lahbabi, whose best time is 59:25.
In the women’s race, Portugal’s record holder Dulce Felix will compete, with a personal best of 1:08:32. Felix’s rival will be 2012 London Olympics silver medalist Priscah Jeptoo from Kenya.
Moia added: "When the event was first held in 1991, only 3,973 athletes participated. This year, the number has reached 34,000."