Mo Farah Joins 2014 London Marathon Adding Extra Excitement to Sunday’s Race

2014 London Marathon shapes up to be a close race with plenty of opportunities for punters to bet on it.

London Marathon is one of the biggest annual sporting events in the capital of Great Britain. Naturally, it attracts not only participants from all over the world, but a large number of punters, wishing to lay bets at land-based and online sportsbooks in the United Kingdom. This year’s edition is scheduled for Sunday, 13th of April.

2014 event

This year’s run is the 34th race in history promising lots of action over the 26.2 mile distance. This time around the Olympic champion Mo Farah will join the race making it extremely interesting to punters to bet on under British gambling laws.

There will be a number of different starting times and points, ensuring fair distribution of runners over the course. Wheelchair racers commence from the Blue Start on Shooters Hill Road at 8.55, next up from the same area are Paralympic athletes at 9.00. Elite women follow them at 9.15.

Mass start from Blue, Red and Green gates is scheduled for 10.00, with Elite men and the rest of the field including amateurs and fun runners. The Red Gate is at Greenwich Park, Charlton Way, and the Green one is at St John’s Park on the edge of Blackheath. All of the courses will join 2.8 miles later in Woolwich.

Mo Farah and others

Olympic 5,000 and 10,000 meters champion, Mo Farah will join the field in his debut marathon appearance. It means that this year’s event will provide the strongest line-up ever, promising record-breaking action and results.

2014 London Marathon delivers great competition and betting odds

• Mo Farah joins the field making this year really special

• Bets are accepted at online sportsbooks in the United Kingdom

• Weather forecasts suggest world record could be broken

Other renowned participants include Haile Gebrselassie, who’s 40 years of age now, but still holds 27 world records. Wilson Kipsang is also there holding the current world record of 2 hours, 3 minutes and 23 seconds. The defending champion Tsegaye Kebede will be back, and sportsbooks are giving him 5.00 odds to retain the crown, making him one of the favorites of the race.

The course record holder, Emmanuel Mitai, will try and break his record once again. Other renowned names include Stanley Biwott, Paris marathon winner, and Stephen Kiprotich, Olympic and World champion from Uganda.

The weather forecasts predict scattered clouds and light winds, suggesting a potential world records. Those who wish to bet on sports in the UK will find 3.00 odds for the new course record to be set on Sunday. The current record stands at 2 hours, 4 minutes, and 40 seconds.

Mo Farah is constantly saying he has little chance of winning the event, however, the odds of him reaching the podium are valued at 3.95. Naturally, downplaying his chances in interviews may be a part of an elaborate strategy Farah and his coach, Alberto Salazar, have come up with for the event.

Mo Farah’s training and chances

It has been revealed that Mo Farah spent three months training in high altitudes, running 120 miles a week. His chances for the London marathon are valued at a line of 5.00 at the majority of land-based and online sportsbooks.

Farah is renowned for his super finishing abilities, just remember his finishes during 2012 London Olympics. The champion will no kick off with Gebrselassie in front of the field, instead choosing a half a minute slower pacemaker for the first half of the race, before trying to catch up to the leaders.

Farah said in a recent interview: “If you look at the finishes from London in the last ten years, almost all of them have been won by somebody surging with a mile to go. And if it comes to a sprint I’ve got my speed from years on the track.”

2014 London marathon betting odds

Here are the betting odds for the top 10 contenders for the Sunday’s London marathon