Yohan Blake, the youngest-ever 100-meter world champion, will serve as the International Event Ambassador for the 18th edition of the Tata Mumbai Marathon, which will be held on January 15, 2023, according to a statement released today by event organiser Procam International.
The historic Tata Mumbai Marathon is a USD 405,000 prize money World Athletics Gold Label Road Race and is ranked among the top 10 marathons in the world. It represents the city’s unique culture – support for all and unwavering trust in oneself.
Blake is the second-fastest man of all time and famously finished behind countryman and training partner Usain Bolt in the 100m and 200m before winning the 4x100m relay gold at the 2012 London Olympics in a world record time.
Blake, whose training regimen earned him the nickname “The Beast” from Usain Bolt, survived a series of ailments to win a second 4x100m relay gold in the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“I’m hopeful that my involvement as the International Event Ambassador for Tata Mumbai Marathon will inspire athletes. I’m super excited to be part of this iconic event that triggered a running revolution in India and turned the country into a global road-running hub. Looking forward to visiting Mumbai,” Blake said.
Blake became the youngest 100m world champion at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu after Bolt was disqualified from the final for a false start. Blake won in 9.92 seconds to become the youngest 100m world champion.
In September of the same year, he ran the second-fastest 200m in history, 19.26 seconds, in Brussels, and he defeated Bolt in the 100m and 200m at the Jamaican Olympic trials the following year.
Blake concluded a remarkable 2012 by running 9.69 seconds in the 100-meter dash at the IAAF meeting in Lausanne, the second-fastest time in history, behind only Bolt.
Blake, an athlete, influencer, and philanthropist, utilised his status as one of the top athletes of his generation to establish the YB Afraid Foundation for poor children in Jamaica. “Something wonderful happens when those who can do what they can to help those who can’t,” he has said.
YBAF is concerned with disadvantaged kids’ educational, social, physical, and mental health requirements. It constructed a new residential and, academic & athletic centre for 44 young boys and is building a fully functional and accredited woodwork training centre.
Sport has been a vital component of the Tata group for over seventy-five years. Tatas association with multiple sports, including cricket, football, hockey, badminton, chess, athletics, mountaineering, and motor racing, among others, has produced numerous award-winning athletes, aided in the development of marginalised communities, and supported sporting teams, national and international events, and training academies. The Tata Sports Club was founded in 1937 to promote sports among the company’s employees.
TCS is the sponsor of many premier running events around the globe, including the TCS New York City Marathon, the TCS Amsterdam Marathon, the TCS World 10K, and the TCS Lidingloppet (the world’s largest cross-country run) and is the technology partner of marathons held in London, Chicago, Boston, and Australia, as part of the company’s effort to promote health and fitness in communities around the globe.
