Farah bids for podium finish at London marathon

Runners brave the cold for North Pole Marathon

LONDON, April 17, (Agencies): British athletics great Mo Farah admitted Tuesday he faces an uphill task to win Sunday’s London marathon with the likes of two-time winner Eliud Kipchoge in the field but says he will fight for a podium place.

The 35-year-old Somalia-born runner — who twice achieved the 5,000-10,000m Olympic double — said one bonus for his third attempt is that he no longer has to think about conserving energy for a track campaign.

Farah, who stopped at the halfway point podium place.” Farah, whose decision to not train full-on for the 2014 London Marathon paid off as he went on to win European gold at 5km and 10km, said he had mapped out a strategy for the race.

“My aim is to stick to my own plan,” said Farah. “The team at the London Marathon have put together an amazing field with guys like Eliud Kipchoge and Daniel Wanjiru.

“I’m only ranked 27th, so I just have to stick to my plan and see what happens.”

Farah, now living in London after splitting from controversial US coach Alberto Salazar, said he had no regrets about switching to the road even though he cast an envious glance at the competitors in the distance events at the Commonwealth

Farah

Games.

“I watched the Commonwealth Games and I wondered whether I could have done that double (5,000m and 10,000m),” he said.

“Maybe. But as an athlete you have to set yourself new challenges. You have to enjoy what you do.”

Meanwhile, with the Greek flag in one hand and ice smothered across his face, runner Argyrios Papathanasopoulos fell to his knees in exhaustion — and celebration — after winning the North Pole Marathon, the northernmost race on Earth.

Papathanasopoulos overcame 46 opponents and temperatures of minus 33 Celsius (27.4 Fahrenheit) to win the “world’s coolest marathon” held annually at Camp Barneo, known as North Pole Camp, on Sunday.

“Almost unbelievable. You know I’m a Greek guy so this is not the right place for me; it’s like an Eskimo running a race in the desert,” he said after winning in a time of four hours, 34 minutes and 36 seconds.

In the women’s event, Guoping Xie of China was victorious in a field of 13.

Nearly all the competitors were wrapped from head to toe in warm clothing to protect them from the icy elements in the picturesque setting, amongst the frozen waters of the Arctic sea.

Australian runner Marcus Fillinger finished well down the field in 41st but did so accompanied by two husky dogs, Druro and Blue, the first canines to complete the marathon.