London Olympics Gold medallist, Mo Farah, will run at the Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans Half Marathon this month. The race falls on Sunday the 24^th and lands 12 days after Louisiana’s Mardi Gras celebrations.

The marathon will start downtown on Poydras Street. With the fast and flat course below sea level, contestants will relish the sights along the beautiful St. Charles Avenue, running out and back before touring the historical French Quarter, iconic City Park and Esplanade Avenue. The participants will finish at Roosevelt Mall behind the New Orleans Museum of Art.

“I’m excited to be racing at my first Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon in New Orleans,” said Farah. “I’ve heard great things about the races and understand that the course is fast and flat. I’m sure that the competition is going to be strong.”

The streets will be rockin’ with the sounds of local bands and cheerleaders lining almost the entire distance of the route, along with thousands of spectators. The event weekend kicks off on Friday 22 February with a two-day Health & Fitness Expo at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. All Rock ‘n’ Roll New Orleans participants will be treated to a concert headlined by the Dirty Dozen Brass Band at the finish line.

Upon arriving in New Orleans, Farah will have the opportunity to visit iconic landmarks such as the French Quarter, Bourbon Street, the Mecedes-Benz Superdome, Jackson Square, St. Louis Cathedral, Café du Monde, Canal Street, the Garden District and Audubon Zoo to help get him inspired for the Half Marathon. For refuelling after the race, Louisianan style, Farah will have plenty to choose from including classic Louisianan cuisine such as crawfish étoufée, gumbo, bananas foster, Cajun jambalaya, po-boys and muffelatas.

For more information about the race, visit www.RunRocknRoll.com. To learn more about New Orleans and Louisiana and to see the places Mo may explore, visit www.neworleanscvb.com and www.louisianatravel.com