Anthony Joshua inspired one London Marathon runner who was doubting he could finish the course.
Joshua attended the 2024 London Marathon, where he was pictured handing out drinks to runners, while shouting encouragement from the sidelines.
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In one particular interaction with a tired competitor, Joshua provided some positive energy, giving a motivating speech after the runner claimed he was mentally struggling to complete the race.
"Listen, this is where you dig deep," he said. "If you know you’re mentally blown up, it’s fine.
"It’s all in the mind, right? If you feel like you're blown up, rebuild now!
"Take a two-minute walk, have a recap and finish the race, bro! Control your thoughts, control your mind let's go!"
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The runner was clearly delighted with Joshua's words of wisdom, shaking hands with him before continuing on his journey.
AJ has had to work through his own adversity in the boxing ring, so is perfectly positioned as a former two-time world champion to advise fellow athletes.
He was famously knocked down twice by Wladimir Klitschko before rallying to stop the legend in their April 2017 clash, while he also immediately avenged a defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr when the pair met in a rematch in 2019.
Joshua went on to later salute the runners once more in a speech explaining exactly why he attended the event.
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He said: “I do a fair bit of running, but what I do, in six miles, is nothing compared to this lot – I take my hat off to those that are doing it.
“I think, what makes it different as well, is that you’ve got all these amazing people coming out to cheer them on and bringing the energy, family and friends, and people from the local community, so it also takes your mind away from the pressure of running 26 miles.
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"So, before you know it, 5 miles have gone, another 5 miles have gone, you see your family and it’s amazing, the support here just spurs everyone on.”
Joshua has continued his own training in recent weeks, but has yet to pencil in a confirmed date for his next fight.
It is expected that the British heavyweight will return to domestic soil in September at Wembley Stadium for his next outing, but an exact opponent has yet to be determined.
It is anticipated that he will face the winner of Daniel Dubois' showdown with Filip Hrgovic, which will likely see the vacant IBF title on the line.
Saudi boxing chief H.E. Turki Alalshikh has hinted that Joshua could even face the winner of Tyson Fury's May 18 clash with Oleksandr Usyk, despite the pair being set to meet in an immediate rematch.
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