Anoosheh Ashoori, 68, says he is taking part to raise awareness about others held captive.
Mr Ashoori said he will be running the marathon to raise awareness about other detainees
A man held in Iran for nearly five years on spying charges, before being released alongside Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, says he is determined to finish the London Marathon.Talking to the BBC's Today programme, the 68-year-old said he was dedicating his run to the people of Iran and its prisoners.He is running for Amnesty International and Hostage International at the race on Sunday.
The British-Iranian dual national was arrested in August 2017 while visiting his elderly mother in Tehran and was later convicted of allegedly spying for Israel's intelligence service Mossad, despite having lived in the UK for 20 years. He denied all charges. Mr Ashoori said while being held in Evin prison he started running in circles in a small prison yard, and gradually built up his stamina so he was able to run for up to two hours.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
London Marathon 2022: Running for charity 'a chance to give back'Two marathon runners tell BBC Newsbeat about overcoming the odds to compete in the London Marathon.
Read more »
London Marathon 2022: Running for charity 'a chance to give back'Two marathon runners tell BBC Newsbeat about overcoming the odds to compete in the London Marathon.
Read more »
London Marathon: 'We support Ukraine from London'A Ukrainian couple, who now live in Tower Hamlets, will be taking on the London Marathon to raise money for their homeland. They hope to raise awareness to the plight of the war-torn country . Read more:
Read more »
The family who prompted a London Marathon changeThe Kerr family are running the London Marathon - their 50th marathon - after successfully campaigning for assisted wheelchair participants to compete.
Read more »
Rail strike: London Marathon runners face chaosParticipants are warned 90% of rail services will not run on Saturday, the day before the race.
Read more »