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Sir Mo Farah once admitted how lucky he felt to meet King Charles III during a memorable interaction where he received a CBE award. As Britain's greatest-ever endurance runner, Sir Mo has understandably become inseparable from events such as the London Marathon. While the Team GB icon retired from professional distance running in September 2023, he will still play an important role in the 2026 edition, which takes place this Sunday, April 26.

Farah won't be running the 26.2 miles himself this year, having completed his fourth and final full marathon in London in April 2023, crossing the line in ninth place. On this occasion, the four-time Olympic gold medallist has been bestowed with an honorary role as a starter, sending the 59,000 participants on their way from Blackheath to The Mall. The 43-year-old never managed to secure victory at the event, though he did finish third in 2018. Instead, he excelled over slightly shorter distances, clinching gold in both the 10,000-metres and 5,000m at London 2012 and Rio 2016. Farah stepped away from track events in 2017 to concentrate on the marathon, although he did mount a brief comeback attempt ahead of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

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It was following his remarkable first Olympic double on home soil well over a decade ago that Farah was honoured with a CBE. King Charles then seized the moment to deliver a nine-word quip about the British icon's extraordinary medal haul on the track, which left Farah gushing with joy.

Sir Mo said after receiving the award: "I never in my life imagined coming to Buckingham Palace. I remember running past it in the mini-marathon as a kid when I was 13 and thinking it was so beautiful and taking pictures of the lion, so coming inside and receiving this award is great."

He fondly recalled the now-King's joke, adding: "Prince Charles said, 'You must be getting sick of so many medals,' and to hear someone like the Prince of Wales knows who you are is just brilliant. I'm not tired of it at all, I just want to make my country proud and collect as many medals in my career as I can."

Farah was born in Somaliland but was trafficked to London at the age of nine, before going on to make history for Britain. King Charles shares his own connection with the London Marathon and has been closely associated with the event since its inception.

The monarch was still a prince when he served as starter for the race's inaugural run in 1981, bestowing royal patronage upon the Marathon from the outset. Ever since, members of the Royal Family have either taken part in or lent their support to the event, a tradition that endures to this day, though Charles himself has understandably stepped back since ascending to the throne in 2022.

It is also worth noting that the race's finish line has long been located at Buckingham Palace. Farah nowadays enjoys a more peaceful life with his family, having relocated to Doha, Qatar, to escape the relentless British spotlight.

In recent times, the veteran track star has channelled greater effort into his Run with Mo YouTube series, which has attracted high-profile guests including Arsene Wenger, KSI and Jimmy Carr, among others.

In early 2026, he took part in various "In Conversation" events, reflecting on his career and his children's book series, Go Mo Go. His running business, One Mo Mile Limited, remains active with significant assets in investment property. He continues to manage his professional commitments from his new home in Doha.