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Farah, who has won the previous two editions of
the half marathon event in London, faces a tough battle to keep
his streak intact against Ethiopian Bekele -- the second-fastest
marathon runner of all-time.
After competing as a marathon runner for the last two years,
Farah has decided to return to the track in a bid to complete an
Olympic hat-trick in the 10,000m race in Tokyo.
He has not featured on the track since the 2017 world
championships, but confirmed he will begin his season by
continuing on the road at the Big Half on March 1.
"I am really looking forward to coming back to the Big Half and
kicking off my 2020 season," said Farah.
"Everyone knows how much I enjoy racing in London. It's my home
city and it always gives me a buzz to come back and race here."
Bekele, the world record holder for both 5,000 meters and 10,000
meters, produced a stunning 2:01:41 run in Berlin last September
but missed the marathon world record by two seconds.
The 37-year-old believes the Big Half gives him an opportunity
to compete against a strong field before he takes on world
record holder Eliud Kipchoge at April's London Marathon.
"This will be my first time racing at the Big Half and it will
be a good test for me as I prepare for the London Marathon,"
Bekele added.
Farah and Bekele will lead the field that also includes Kenyan
Marius Kipserem, who set a new course record to win the
Rotterdam Marathon last year.
(Reporting by Hardik Vyas in Bengaluru, editing by Pritha Sarkar)
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