Mo Farah
Great Britain

  • Full name Mohamed Farah
  • Birth date March 23, 1983
  • Birth place Mogadishu
  • Current age 40 years 362 days
  • Height 5 ft 9 in
Mo Farah
Profile

"Go hard or go home". That is Mo Farah's motto. The Somali-born British athlete is renowned for pushing himself to the limit and years of hard work and dedication finally bore fruit in 2010, when he was crowned double European champion.

Growing up in West London, Farah got the taste for running at school and his talent soon became obvious during a successful junior career. After winning a silver medal at the European Junior Cross Country Championships in 2001, he claimed his first major title at the European Junior Championships later that year.

Despite his promising performances in the junior ranks, Farah struggled to make an impact at senior level. However, his fortunes changed as a result of moving in with Australian Craig Mottram and a group of Kenyans in 2005. Farah said of the move: "They sleep, eat, train and rest, that's all they do but as an athlete you have to do all those things. Running with Craig made me feel more positive. If I ever want to be as good as these athletes I've got to work harder. I don't just want to be British No. 1, I want to be up there with the best."

He then made his breakthrough on the senior stage, winning a silver medal at the European Track & Field Championships in 2006. A first major title was to follow at the European Cross Country Championships and he finished a credible sixth place in the 5000m at the 2007 World Championships.

In January 2009, Farah set a new British indoor record in the 3000m, breaking John Mayock's record in Glasgow. He also holds the British road record for 10000m, the British 5000m record and the European indoor 5000m record. A gold medal in the 3000m at the European Indoor Championships in 2009 proved that Farah had arrived on the world stage.

At the 2010 European Championships, he became the first British man to win the European 1000m title, leading home a sensational one-two in Barcelona's Olympic Stadium. Four days after beating his friend, Chris Thompson, to the 10,000m crown, Farah claimed his second gold medal of the championships in the 5000m final.

In March 2011, Farah won gold in the 3000m at the European Indoor Championships and later that month won the New York City half-marathon on his debut over the distance. He won the 5000m world title in Daegu, but was beaten in a sprint finish by the little-known Ethiopian Ibrahim Jeilan to the 10,000m crown.

In front of his home crowd in London, Farah won Olympic 10,000m gold in a time of 27:30.42 to become the first Briton to win an Olympic long-distance title, celebrating with his 'Mobot' celebration. Seven days later he sealed his place in the history books with victory in the 5000m in a time of 13:41.66, entirely justifying his decision to move to USA with his coach Alberto Salazar.

His place as one of, if not the, greatest British runner was sealed when he repeated his Olympic double at the World Championships in 2013.

Career high:
Winning double gold in the 5000m and 10,000m at London 2012.

Career low
Being knocked out before the final in the 5000m at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Quotes
"I was this African kid who looked as if he needed sorting. I ended up with a black eye." Mo Farah relives his first day at school

"It's hard to put it into words how I feel. It wasn't easy. I had to work hard for it and I can't believe I am a double champion." Mo Farah, July 2010

Trivia
In February 2011, Farah announced he would be relocating to the United States to work with Alberto Salazar, in a bid to boost his Olympic ambitions.

Top

Latest Articles
Latest Photos

Aug 17, 2013

Mo Farah poses for a photo at the Crowne Plaza Hotel following his second win

Aug 16, 2013

Mo Farah holds the British flag above his shoulders after his win in the 5000m

Aug 16, 2013

Mo Farah celebrates his win in the 5000m

Aug 13, 2013

Mo Farah and Galen Rupp lead the pack

View the full list of related photos »

Top