Madame Tussauds Blackpool has unveiled a brand-new look for its Sir Mo Farah CBE wax figure - to mark the Olympic legend’s last competitive Great North Run race on Sunday (10th September).
Keen to celebrate the four-time Olympic gold medallist’s illustrious running career, Madame Tussauds Blackpool has restyled Sir Mo’s wax figure with the Great Britain running kit he wore when he won the Great North Run for a fourth consecutive time in 2017.
To unveil the figure’s new, authentic look, Madame Tussauds Blackpool enlisted the help of Blackpool, Wyre & Fylde Athletic Club Runner Steve Dunn, aka ‘The Running Rev’, and Lytham St Anne’s Road Runner Linda Chadderton, who are also competing on Sunday.
They were invited to the promenade attraction to recreate Sir Mo’s famous victory pose, the Mobot!
Sir Mo Farah said: “I’ve had an amazing career but all good things must come to an end. However, I hope when people visit Madame Tussauds Blackpool and see my wax figure dressed in kit it will remind them of some happy memories, or help to inspire the next generation and show them that anything is possible”
Janine Marshall, Head of Operations at Madame Tussauds Blackpool, said: “Sir Mo Farah is a legendary British athlete and has achieved many accolades over his distinguished career. It is important that we not only mark his last ever race as an elite athlete but celebrate a glittering career too. We were beyond delighted when Sir Mo agreed to loan Madame Tussauds Blackpool the kit which he actually wore when he won the 2017 Great North Run so that we could restyle his popular figure to mark this momentous occasion.
“Sir Mo’s popular wax figure will don the running kit for a limited time, so I would encourage runners participating in the Great North Run to pop down with their winning medals and have a selfie with Sir Mo in his genuine kit.
“I’d like to wish Sir Mo, Steven, Linda and all runners participating in the Great North Run the very best of luck for Sunday.”
Steve, 46, from Hambleton was inspired to take on the 13.1-mile race to raise money for Children’s Heart Unit Fund (CHUF) after his eight-year-old nephew, Henry, underwent open heart surgery in March.
Linda, 53, from Blackpool, who is a senior lecturer in law at the University of Central Lancashire, is running her inaugural Great North Run with two colleagues to raise money for the Anthony Nolan Trust. They decided to run the World-famous half marathon after their colleague’s daughter was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukaemia last year.