Double Olympic gold medal winner Kelly Holmes sets the stage for latest round of the unique marathon relay series
19 January 2007, Mumbai – Kelly Holmes, brand ambassador of the Standard Chartered Mumbai Marathon, was in India today to meet some of the Greatest Race on Earth (GROE) international athletes who are set to run for their teams in Sunday’s race. She unveiled the 9 carat, 300 gram solid Gold Baton trophy that will be awarded to the winner of the Nations Challenge when the series concludes in Hong Kong in March, and then helped paint the third section of the GROE Mural [photos attached].
After the first two stages of GROE 2006/07 in Nairobi and Singapore, the teams currently at the top will be looking to their third leg runner to extend their advantage over the chasing pack. With half the series already completed, the pressure is on the athletes to record a quick time for their team in an effort to win a share of the US$1.5 million prize pool, the highest in world athletics.
The series sees over 30 countries compete in what is becoming the ‘World Cup of Marathons’. Asked what it feels like to represent your country, Holmes said, “There is no better feeling in the world than to wear your national flag on your running vest. It is a real privilege and an honour.”
Holmes explained how the marathon athletes running for their team, in the third leg of GROE on Sunday in Mumbai, may feel a different sensation to when they run as individuals. “I ran a few relays in my track career and the adrenaline is different when you are running as a team. You do feel extra pressure not to let your team-mates down, but if you all have the same determined mindset, you will achieve the result you want.”
Holmes also helped to paint the third section of the GROE Mural, which has already travelled to and been painted at the first two legs of the relay in Nairobi and Singapore. The Mural is a visual representation of GROE – a team relay race across four very different and exotic countries, and four distinctly challenging marathons. It is divided into four sections; from left to right, the first section represents Kenya, the second Singapore, the third India and the fourth Hong Kong.
In her advice to the GROE athletes she explained, “When it comes to the big day itself, stick to your race plan, run your own race and don’t get too carried away with how others are running. And most importantly enjoy it!”
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