Sir Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah (born Hussein Abdi Kahin; 23 March 1983) is a British former long-distance runner. Considered one of the greatest runners of all time, his ten global championship gold medals (four Olympic and six World titles) make him the most successful male track distance runner in the history of the sport, and he is the most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games history.
Farah is the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medallist in both the 5,000 m and 10,000 m. He is the second athlete, after Lasse Virén, to win both the 5,000 m and 10,000 m titles at successive Olympic Games. He also completed the 'distance double' at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships in Athletics. He was the first man to defend both distance titles in both major global competitions; a feat described as the 'quadruple-double'. After finishing second in the 10,000 metres at the 2011 World Championships, Farah had an unbroken streak of ten global final wins (the 5,000m in 2011, the double in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016, and the 10,000m in 2017). The streak ended in Farah's final championship track race, when he finished second to Ethiopia's Muktar Edris in the 2017 5,000 metres final.
On the track, Farah mostly competed over 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres, but has run competitively from 1,500 metres to the marathon. In 2017, he indicated his intention to switch wholly to road racing following victory at his final track race, the 2017 IAAF Diamond League 5,000 metres final. He won the 2018 Chicago Marathon in a time of 2:05:11, a European record. His running style has been described as bouncy and tactical, which he has attempted to alter for a more efficient and energy-saving stride pattern, especially in the longer distances. Farah runs distance races tactically, a style which is aided by his especially quick sprint finish. His tactics were described in Athletics Weekly: "(Farah) could run 24 strong laps"25 laps of the track" is a common description of the 10,000 metres. of the track, which most of his East African rivals could match, before a blistering 400 metre sprint to the line, which none of them could."
Born in present-day Somaliland, the then Hussein Abdi Kahin was trafficked from Djibouti to London under the name of another child, Mohamed Farah, at the age of nine where he was forced into child labour. He adopted the name as his own thereafter, becoming a British citizen. He ran for Newham and Essex Beagles athletics club, training at St Mary's University College, Twickenham from 2001 to 2011. He did not reveal that he was a victim of trafficking until 2022.
Farah is the current world record holder for the one hour run (21,330 m) and the current European record holder for the outdoor 10,000 m (26:46.57). He is also the current British record holder for the 3,000 m (7:32.62) and 5,000 m (12:53.11). He formerly held the world best for the short track two miles at 8:03.40 (broken by Josh Kerr in 2024 with an 8:00.67 clocking), and also formerly held the European best in the outdoor two mile (8:07.85) and 3000m (7:32.62), until Jakob Ingebrigtsen broke the 2 mile in 2023 with a new world best of 7:54.10 and the 3,000m in 2024 with a world record time of 7:17.55. Farah was also the former British short track record holder for the 3,000 m, at 7:33.1+ (broken by Sam Atkin in 2023 with 7:31.97). Farah also held the 1500m British Record (3:28.81) which was broken by Josh Kerr in 2024 with a time of 3:27.79.
Farah was the first British athlete to win two gold medals at the same world championships. His five gold medals at the European Athletics Championships made him the most successful male athlete in individual events in the championships' history. He has won the European Athlete of the Year award and the British Athletics Writers Association British Athlete of the Year award more than any other athlete, three times and six times respectively. In 2017, Farah won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Farah was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2013 and was Knight Bachelor by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to athletics.
For the first years he was in Britain, he was not allowed to go to school, but when he was 11 or 12 he began to attend Year 7 at Feltham Community College, where staff were told he was a refugee from Somalia. His athletic talent was first identified by physical education teacher Alan Watkinson. Farah's ambition at the time was to play as a right winger for Arsenal FC football club, or become a car mechanic.
Farah's first major title was in the 5000 metres at the 2001 European Athletics Junior Championships, the same year that he began training at St Mary's University, Twickenham. That year, Farah became one of the first two athletes in the newly formed Endurance Performance Centre at St Mary's. He lived and trained at the college, and took some modules in an access course before becoming a full-time athlete as his career progressed.
In July 2006, Farah recorded a time of 13 minutes 9.40 seconds for 5000 m to become Britain's second-fastest runner after Dave Moorcroft. A month later, Farah won the silver medal in the European Championship 5000m in Gothenburg. Coaches Alan Storey and Mark Rowland made sure that Farah remained competitive and a few words from Paula Radcliffe before the 5000 m final inspired Farah. He has stated that: "She said to me, 'Go out and be brave. Just believe in yourself'." In December 2006, Farah won the 2006 European Cross Country Championships in San Giorgio su Legnano, Italy.
During the 2007 European Indoor Championship Farah fell and amid confusion started running in the wrong direction. Farah represented the UK at 5000 m in the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan. Farah finished sixth in a time of 13:47.54.
In May 2008, Farah ran 10,000 m events, which was the fastest UK men's time for almost eight years. However, he was knocked out before the 5000 m final at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
Farah competed at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics: he was in the leading pack early on in the 5000 metres race and eventually finished seventh – the best by a European runner. After the championships, he scored a victory in his first road competition over 10 miles, winning the Great South Run in 46:25 to become the third fastest Briton in spite of strong winds.
Farah was one of the favourites to upset Serhiy Lebid's dominance at the 2009 European Cross Country Championships. However, Lebid was never in contention as Farah and Alemayehu Bezabeh were some distance ahead throughout the run. Farah was overtaken by Bezabeh in the latter stages of the race, leaving the Briton with a second consecutive silver medal at the competition. He did not manage to attend the medal ceremony, however, as he collapsed immediately after the race and needed medical attention. After a close third place behind Edwin Soi at the BOclassic, Farah competed in the short course race at the Great Edinburgh Cross Country. He was the favourite to win and surged ahead to build a comfortable lead. However, he appeared tired in the latter stages and finished third behind British runners Ricky Stevenson and Steve Vernon. Farah again required post-race medical attention and subsequent tests revealed he had low levels of iron and magnesium. He was prescribed supplements for the condition and his high altitude training plans in Kenya were unaffected.
Farah won the 2010 London 10,000 in late May in a time of 27:44, in the process beating 10K world record holder Micah Kogo. His success continued the following week at the European Cup 10,000 m. There, he improved his track best by nearly 16 seconds, finishing in a time of 27:28.86. Farah won by a margin of over forty seconds ahead of second placed Abdellatif Meftah. After training in Africa, he returned to Europe for the 2010 European Athletics Championships. He took the 10,000 metres gold medal, overtaking Ayad Lamdassem with two laps to go and finishing the race unpressured in a time of 28:24.99. This was Farah's first major title and also the first European gold medal in the event for Great Britain. He then went on to win the 5000 m, beating Jesús España and becoming only the fifth man in the 66-year history of the European Championships to achieve the 5000 m/10,000 m double, and the first for 20 years, following in the footsteps of the Czech Emil Zátopek in 1950, Zdzislaw Krzyszkowiak of Poland in 1958, Finland's Juha Vaatainen in 1971 and Salvatore Antibo, of Italy, in 1990.
On 19 August 2010, at a Diamond League meeting in Zürich, Farah ran 5000 m in 12:57.94, breaking David Moorcroft's long-standing British record and becoming the first ever British athlete to run under 13 minutes.
In December 2010, Farah was named track-and-field athlete of the year by the British Olympic Association. He closed the year at the BOclassic and just missed out on the 10,000 m title, losing to Imane Merga in a sprint finish by 0.2 seconds.
In February 2011, Farah announced that he would be relocating to Portland, Oregon to work with new couch Alberto Salazar, train alongside Galen Rupp, and avoid the attention of the British tabloids. On 19 February 2011 in Birmingham, England, Farah broke the European 5000 m indoor record with a time of 13:10.60, at the same time taking ten seconds off the 29-year-old British indoor record of Nick Rose. On 5 March 2011, he won gold in the 3000 metres at the European Indoor Championships. On 20 March, Farah also won the NYC Half Marathon in a time of 1:00:23, a new British record. He and training partner Galen Rupp had originally planned on running a 10,000 m race in New Zealand. However, after the race was cancelled due to the Christchurch earthquake and damage done to the track, they entered the half-marathon in New York.
On 3 June 2011, at a Diamond League meeting in Eugene, Oregon, Farah won the Prefontaine Classic's 10,000 m event in 26:46.57, setting a new British and European record. On 22 July 2011, at a Diamond League meeting in Monaco, he set a new British national record in the 5000 m with a time of 12:53.11. Farah edged out American Bernard Lagat to win the race.
In the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, Farah made a major breakthrough on the world stage by taking the silver medal in the 10,000 m and then the gold in the 5000 m. He became the first British man to win a World Championships medal over either distance. Farah had in fact been more strongly favoured to take the 10,000 m title, but was narrowly beaten in a last lap sprint by Ethiopian Ibrahim Jeilan. In the 5000 m, he overcame Lagat, beating him into second place. Following the race, Dave Moorcroft, former 5000 metres world record holder, hailed Farah as "the greatest male distance runner that Britain has ever seen".Channel 4 Athletics commentary, Daegu Championships
At the European Championships in June 2012, he won the 5000m. This then made Farah the first athlete to win this European title more than once.
On 23 August 2012, Farah returned to the track at a Diamond League meet in Birmingham, where he capped off a winning season with another victory over a distance of two miles ().
On 10 August 2013, Farah stayed in front of Ibrahim Jeilan to win the 10,000 m event at the World Championships in Moscow. The victory was his fourth global title. On 16 August 2013, Farah won the 5,000 m event, in the process becoming double world and Olympic champion. After this victory, BBC commentator Brendan Foster and Sebastian Coe called Farah 'Britain's greatest ever athlete'. Farah became only the second man in history to win long-distance titles at successive editions of the Olympics and World Championships, after Kenenisa Bekele's 2008–09 feat. He was the first British athlete to win two individual gold medals at a World Championships.
In December 2013, Farah was the second favourite, behind Wimbledon tennis champion Andy Murray, to become the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. When he was asked what drove him to keep pushing back the boundaries of athletic accomplishment, he noted sprinter Usain Bolt's record breaking streak as a motivating example of what is possible for all dedicated athletes.
Farah was a finalist for the 2013 IAAF World Athlete of the year award. In preparation for his marathon debut, he also extended his training schedule to 120 miles a week.
Farah was due to compete at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. However, he withdrew due to illness from a stomach ailment and an infection caused from having a tooth removed. Farah later appeared in Zürich at the 2014 European Athletics Championships. He successfully defended his 5000 m title and won a gold in the 10,000 m, thus completing another major championship double. This made him the most successful individual in the history of the European Athletics Championships, with five titles to his name.
On 7 September 2014, Farah competed in the Great North Run, a British half marathon. He won the race with a personal best time of 1:00:00, exactly 1 hour.
On 13 August, Farah won a gold medal in the 10,000 metres at the Rio Olympics, making it the first time a Briton had won three athletic gold Olympic medals. After being accidentally clipped on the back of the heel by American Galen Rupp on the tenth lap he fell, but went on to win gold with the time of 27:05.17. Rupp slowed after Farah's fall to check his condition and finished in fifth place with a time of 27:08.92. In the final lap Farah battled Paul Tanui, who took the lead with 300 metres remaining. Farah edged him out with 100 metres to go. Tanui finished in second place with a time of 27:05.64.
On 20 August, Farah went on to win a second gold medal in the 5,000 metres at the Rio Olympics. Coming into the 31st Olympiad, Farah was trying to win gold medals in the 10,000 metres and 5,000 metres to double his success from the London Olympics. Farah held off the lead he had set and finished with a time of 13:03:30, making it only the second time someone has retained the 5000m and 10,000m Olympic titles, after Lasse Virén of Finland in 1972 and 1976. In September 2016, he won the Great North Run for a record third consecutive year.
In 2016, he was the fastest person from the European continent over two middle distance events and three long-distance events; the 1500 metres, 3000 metres, 5000 metres, 10,000 metres and the half-marathon respectively. His ninth global title, the 5000m in Rio, made him surpass Kenenisa Bekele as the most frequent winner of gold in history for major long-distance events. He remained unbeaten in 2016 in the 3000m as well as in six races over the 10,000m and 5,000m distances.
Farah won his final two track events, in the Diamond league, in Birmingham and Zurich. On 24 August 2017, he won his final 5,000m in the Diamond league, finishing in 13:06.05, in a final sprint against Paul Chelimo and Muktar Edris just behind in 13:06.09.
On 20 August 2017, Farah again reiterated his decision to move to the marathon full-time, and caused headlines when he announced after running his last 10,000m race on British soil at the Muller Grand Prix in Birmingham that he would never again run in a GB vest.
On 10 September 2017, Farah won the Great North Run for a record fourth consecutive time. He finished in 1:00:06, 6 seconds ahead of Jake Robertson.
On 31 October, Farah split from Alberto Salazar in order to be coached by Gary Lough, husband and former coach of Paula Radcliffe. Salazar stated that the split was mutual and he would be happy to advise Farah in the future.
"I was honest and said I was done with the track but part of me missed it. I feel like I can still win medals and do as well as I have over the years."
He has also confirmed that he may run in the 10,000 metres at the World Championships in Doha in late 2019, although this would depend on the result of the 2019 Big Half Marathon. This possibility was later confirmed by Neil Black, performance director of UK Athletics, who has said that Farah had received financial backing from the National Lottery in anticipation for both his participation in the Championships, as well as for the Tokyo Olympics.
On 10 March 2019, Farah won his second London Big Half Marathon, and again hinted at running the 10,000m at the World Championships in October 2019. In April, Farah finished in fifth place in the 2019 London Marathon in 2:05:39.
On 8 September 2019, Farah won the 2019 Great North Run for a record sixth consecutive time in a new Personal best of 59:07.
On 29 November 2019, Farah announced via his YouTube channel, his plan to return to the track to defend his 10,000 m Olympic title at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games. Farah stated he would put his marathon career on hold while he returned to track oriented training.
On 4 September 2020, Farah set the men's all-time record for the one hour run at the 2020 Diamond League meeting in Brussels, Belgium, covering 21,330 metres (13.25 miles), breaking Haile Gebrselassie's record of 21,285 metres set at Ostrava, Czech Republic on 27 June 2007.
On 25 June 2021, Farah failed to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games managing to run only a 27:47.04 for the 10,000m at the Manchester Regional Arena, despite this time being a stadium record. The cut-off time for Olympic Qualification of the 10,000m stands at 27:28.00, leaving Farah 19 seconds off the pace. When asked whether this would lead to the end of his distinguished career, he said "It's a tough one. If I can't compete with the best I'm not just going there to finish in a final. Tonight shows it's not good enough."
In April 2010, Farah married his longtime girlfriend Tania Nell in Richmond, London. Other athletes at the wedding included Paula Radcliffe, Steve Cram, Hayley Yelling, Jo Pavey, Mustafa Mohamed and Scott Overall, who was an Groomsman. Farah has a stepdaughter named Rihanna from this relationship. He and his wife have twin daughters called Aisha and Amani, born in August 2012. In 2015, Farah and Nell had a son called Hussein.
From 2011 to 2017, Farah lived with his family in Portland, Oregon, US so that he could train full-time with the Nike Oregon Project. At the end of 2017, he cut ties with his coach Alberto Salazar and decided to return to London. His statement said "Tania and I realised how much we have missed spending time with our friends and family and the kids are so happy here, too. We want the kids to grow up in the UK. It's the right thing to do for my family. Mo Farah splits with coach Alberto Salazar ahead of move back to London. The Daily Telegraph.
Farah is a Muslim, and is an active supporter of the Muslim Writers Awards. Islam is an important part of his preparation: "I normally pray before a race, I read dua Islamic, think about how hard I've worked and just go for it." He notes that "the Qur'an says that you must work hard in whatever you do, so I work hard in training and that's got a lot to do with being successful. It doesn't just come overnight, you've got to train for it and believe in yourself; that's the most important thing." An RISSC publication named Farah as among the 500 most influential Muslims in the world in 2013.
Farah is also a fan of Arsenal F.C., and has trained with its first team squad. He has indicated a desire to become a fitness coach at the Emirates Stadium in Holloway once he retires so as to improve its conditioning record. In October 2013, he launched a book titled Mo Farah, Twin Ambitions: My autobiography in Canary Wharf, London.
Farah has a large following on social media. This includes roughly 1.5 million followers on Twitter, 1.1 million on Facebook and 1.1 million on Instagram. In 2013, he was the top-ranked query for a sportsperson on the search engine Microsoft UK Bing who was not a footballer.
Olympic memorabilia featuring and signed by Farah has also been auctioned off to raise funds for the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). In 2013, he joined legislators and activists in a campaign urging Barclays Bank to repeal its decision to withdraw from the UK remittance market. Farah often used money transfer operators to send remittances to family, and some of the world's largest organisations and charities, including the UN and his own foundation, likewise paid staff and channelled funds through these services. In March 2013, Farah, singer Robbie Williams, and a number of other celebrities also urged the Chancellor, George Osborne to clamp down on global corporations that avoid paying taxes in poor countries in which they operate. He has also expressed support for research into brain tumours.
On 7 August 2017, Farah became a global ambassador for Marathon Kids. Speaking of his new role, Farah said, "I love running, and it's given me and my family so much. As a dad, I know how important it is for my children to be active, and I'm honoured to have the chance to inspire kids to run with Marathon Kids."
In December 2013, Farah signed a marketing deal with Quorn, part of a multimillion-pound campaign aimed at doubling the firm's sales. He led television advertisements for Quorn's vegetarian forms of protein, with the campaign scheduled to last throughout the following year.
After U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order temporarily suspending the immigration of Somali-born U.S. permanent residents, Farah made a statement on his Facebook account stating that "I will have to tell my children that Daddy might not be able to come home."
In March 2018, Farah posted a video on Instagram depicting what he alleges to be racial harassment at Munich Airport.
In November 2020, it was announced that Farah would take part in the twentieth series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here. He became the eighth celebrity to be eliminated on 2 December 2020 alongside AJ Pritchard.
In July 2022, the BBC documentary The Real Mo Farah revealed a true account of Farah's childhood. It follows Farah with his wife and son Hussein as he investigates his past, reuniting with his Somali family and the woman who raised him after he escaped domestic servitude. It received critical acclaim.
In November 2022, it was announced that Farah would take part in the Taskmaster "New Year Treat III". Farah won the episode.
1999 | World Youth Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 6th | 3000 m | 8:21.25 |
European Cross Country Championships | Velenje, Slovenia | 5th | Junior individual | 23:18 | |
1st | Junior team | 26 pts | |||
2000 | World Cross Country Championships | Vilamoura, Portugal | 25th | Junior individual | 24:37 |
12th | Junior team | 216 pts | |||
World Junior Championships | Santiago, Chile | 10th | 5000 m | 14:12.21 | |
European Cross Country Championships | Malmö, Sweden | 7th | Junior individual | 19:12 | |
2nd | Junior team | 25 pts | |||
2001 | World Cross Country Championships | Ostend, Belgium | 59th | Junior individual | 28:06 |
15th | Junior team | 332 pts | |||
European Junior Championships | Grosseto, Italy | 1st | 5000 m | 14:09.91 | |
European Cross Country Championships | Thun, Switzerland | 2nd | Junior individual | 19:38 | |
1st | Junior team | 54 pts | |||
2003 | World Cross Country Championships | Lausanne, Switzerland | 74th | Short race | 12:13 |
European U23 Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 2nd | 5000 m | 13:58.88 | |
2005 | European Indoor Championships | Madrid, Spain | 6th | 3000 m | 7:54.08 |
World Cross Country Championships | Saint-Galmier, France | 37th | Senior race | 37:50 | |
17th | Senior team | 308 pts | |||
European Cup | Florence, Italy | 2nd | 3000 m | 8:17.28 | |
European U23 Championships | Erfurt, Germany | 2nd | 5000 m | 14:10.96 | |
European Cross Country Championships | Tilburg, Netherlands | 21st | Senior race | 27:57 | |
7th | Senior team | 129 pts | |||
2006 | Commonwealth Games | Melbourne, Australia | 9th | 5000 m | 13:40.53 |
World Cross Country Championships | Fukuoka, Japan | 40th | Short race | 11:27 | |
14th | Short race team | 253 pts | |||
European Cup | Málaga, Spain | 2nd | 3000 m | 8:27.91 | |
European Athletics Championships | Gothenburg, Sweden | 2nd | 5000 m | 13:44.79 | |
European Cross Country Championships | San Giorgio su Legnano, Italy | 1st | Senior race | 27:56 | |
4th | Senior team | 79 pts | |||
2007 | European Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 5th | 3000 m | 8:03.50 |
World Cross Country Championships | Mombasa, Kenya | 11th | Senior race | 37:31 | |
8th | Senior team | 380 pts | |||
World Championships | Osaka, Japan | 6th | 5000 m | 13:47.54 | |
World Athletics Final | Stuttgart, Germany | 3rd | 3000 m | 7:49.89 | |
2008 | World Indoor Championships | Valencia, Spain | 6th | 3000 m | 7:55.08 |
European Cup | Annecy, France | 1st | 5000 m | 13:44.07 | |
Olympic Games | Beijing, China | 17th (h) | 5000 m | 13:50.95 | |
European Cross Country Championships | Brussels, Belgium | 2nd | Senior race | 30:57 | |
3rd | Senior team | 54 pts | |||
2009 | European Indoor Championships | Turin, Italy | 1st | 3000 m | 7:40.17 |
European Team Championships | Leiria, Portugal | 1st | 5000 m | 13:43.01 | |
World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 7th | 5000 m | 13:19.69 | |
European Cross Country Championships | Dublin, Ireland | 2nd | Senior race | 31:02 | |
2nd | 54 pts | Senior team | |||
2010 | World Cross Country Championships | Bydgoszcz, Poland | 20th | Senior race | 34:09 |
14th | Senior team | 230 pts | |||
European Team Championships | Bergen, Norway | 1st | 5000 m | 13:46.93 | |
European Championships | Barcelona, Spain | 1st | 5000 m | 13:31.18 | |
1st | 10,000 m | 28:24.99 | |||
2011 | European Indoor Championships | Paris, France | 1st | 3000 m | 7:53.00 |
World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 1st | 5000 m | 13:23.36 | |
2nd | 10,000 m | 27:14.07 | |||
2012 | World Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 4th | 3000 m | 7:41.79 |
European Championships | Helsinki, Finland | 1st | 5000 m | 13:29.91 | |
Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 1st | 5000 m | 13:41.66 | |
1st | 10,000 m | 27:30.42 | |||
2013 | European Team Championships | Gateshead, United Kingdom | 1st | 5000 m | 14:10.00 |
World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 1st | 5000 m | 13:26.98 | |
1st | 10,000 m | 27:21.71 | |||
2014 | European Championships | Zürich, Switzerland | 1st | 5000 m | 14:05.82 |
1st | 10,000 m | 28:08.11 | |||
2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 1st | 5000 m | 13:50.38 |
1st | 10,000 m | 27:01.13 | |||
2016 | World Half Marathon Championships | Cardiff, United Kingdom | 3rd | Individual | 59:59 |
Olympic Games | Rio de Janeiro, Brazil | 1st | 5000 m | 13:03.30 | |
1st | 10,000 m | 27:05.17 | |||
2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 2nd | 5000 m | 13:33.22 |
1st | 10,000 m | 26:49.51 |
Outdoor | Bath |
Eton | |
Monaco | |
London | |
Melbourne | |
Birmingham | |
Birmingham | |
Monaco | |
Eugene | |
Brussels | |
Indoor | Glasgow |
Boston | |
Birmingham | |
Birmingham | |
Birmingham | |
Road | London |
Cardiff | |
Portsmouth | |
Lisbon | |
Great North Run | |
Lisbon | |
Chicago Marathon |
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