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The most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games history, he is the [[2012 Summer Olympics|2012]] and [[2016 Summer Olympics|2016 Olympic gold medallist]] in both the 5000&nbsp;m and 10,000&nbsp;m, and is the second athlete in modern Olympic Games history, after [[Lasse Virén]], to successfully defend the 5000&nbsp;m and 10,000&nbsp;m titles. Farah also completed the 'distance double' at the [[2013 World Championships in Athletics|2013]] and [[2015 World Championships in Athletics]]. He was the second man in history after [[Kenenisa Bekele]], to win long-distance doubles at successive Olympics and World Championships, and the first in history to defend both distance titles in both major global competitions - a feat described as the 'quadruple-double'.<ref>[http://www.espn.co.uk/figure-skating/summer/2016/athletes/_/athlete/20005 "2016 Summer Olympics Bio - Mo Farah"]. ESPN. Retrieved 21 August 2016</ref> Farah's unbeaten streak in global distance finals runs to 9, having finished 2nd in the 10,000 metres at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics; as of 2017 he has won every global final at either distance since that date.
The most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games history, he is the [[2012 Summer Olympics|2012]] and [[2016 Summer Olympics|2016 Olympic gold medallist]] in both the 5000&nbsp;m and 10,000&nbsp;m, and is the second athlete in modern Olympic Games history, after [[Lasse Virén]], to successfully defend the 5000&nbsp;m and 10,000&nbsp;m titles. Farah also completed the 'distance double' at the [[2013 World Championships in Athletics|2013]] and [[2015 World Championships in Athletics]]. He was the second man in history after [[Kenenisa Bekele]], to win long-distance doubles at successive Olympics and World Championships, and the first in history to defend both distance titles in both major global competitions - a feat described as the 'quadruple-double'.<ref>[http://www.espn.co.uk/figure-skating/summer/2016/athletes/_/athlete/20005 "2016 Summer Olympics Bio - Mo Farah"]. ESPN. Retrieved 21 August 2016</ref> Farah's unbeaten streak in global distance finals runs to 9, having finished 2nd in the 10,000 metres at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics; as of 2017 he has won every global final at either distance since that date.


Born in [[Somalia]], Farah moved to the UK as a child. He was originally based in [[London]] and ran for [[Newham and Essex Beagles]] athletics club, training at [[St. Mary's University College (Twickenham)|St Mary's University College, Twickenham]] from 2001 to 2011. Farah runs distance races tactically, and unlike previous successful runners at this level, has not run close to the world records at his two signature distances; although he can maintain a fast pace, his victories have been achieved through tactical prowess and by his ability to employ a [[sprint (running)|sprint finish]].
Born in [[Somalia]], Farah moved to the UK as a child. He was originally based in [[London]] and ran for [[Newham and Essex Beagles]] athletics club, training at [[St. Mary's University College (Twickenham)|St Mary's University College, Twickenham]] from 2001 to 2011.


Farah is the [[European records in athletics|European record]] holder for the 1500&nbsp;m, 10,000 m, [[half marathon]] and [[two miles]], the [[British records in athletics|British record]] holder for the 5000 m, the European indoor record holder for 5000 m, the British indoor record in the 3000 m and the current indoor [[List of world records in athletics|world record]] holder for the [[two miles]].
Farah is the [[European records in athletics|European record]] holder for the 1500&nbsp;m, 10,000 m, [[half marathon]] and [[two miles]], the [[British records in athletics|British record]] holder for the 5000 m, the European indoor record holder for 5000 m, the British indoor record in the 3000 m and the current indoor [[List of world records in athletics|world record]] holder for the [[two miles]].

Revision as of 05:38, 31 January 2017

Sir Mo Farah
CBE
Farah at the 2016 Summer Olympics podium with his two gold medals
Personal information
Birth nameMohamed Muktar Jama Farah
Nationality United Kingdom
Born (1983-03-23) 23 March 1983 (age 41)[1]
Mogadishu, Somalia[2]
Monument(s)Gold Postboxes Isleworth, London; Teddington, London
Madame Tussauds London wax sculpture in Marylebone
OccupationRunner
Years active1996–present
Height5 ft 9 in (175 cm)[3]
Weight9 st 6 lb (60 kg)[3]
SpouseTania Nell
Websitewww.mofarah.com
Sport
SportTrack and Field
Event(s)1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m, 10,000 m, Half marathon, Marathon
University teamSt Mary's University College Twickenham London
ClubNewham and Essex Beagles, London
Nike Oregon Project, Portland
Coached byCharles Van Commenee[4]
Alan Storey[5]
Alan Watkinson[6]
Alberto Salazar[7]
Ian Stewart (formerly)[8]
Achievements and titles
Personal bests1500 metres: 3:28.81 AR[9]
3000 metres: 7:32.62 NR[9]
Indoor 3000 m: 7:34.47i NR[9]
2-mile: 8:07.85 AR[9]
Indoor 2-mile: 8:03.40i WR[9]
5000 metres: 12:53.16 NR[9]
Indoor 5000 m: 13:10.60i AR[9]
10,000 metres: 26:46.57 AR[9]
Half marathon: 59:32 AR[9]
Marathon: 2:08:21[9]
Medal record

Sir Mohamed Muktar Jama "Mo" Farah, CBE (Template:Lang-so; born 23 March 1983) is a British distance runner.[11] On the track, he mostly competes over 5000 metres and 10,000 metres, but has run competitively from 1500 metres to the marathon.

The most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games history, he is the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medallist in both the 5000 m and 10,000 m, and is the second athlete in modern Olympic Games history, after Lasse Virén, to successfully defend the 5000 m and 10,000 m titles. Farah also completed the 'distance double' at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships in Athletics. He was the second man in history after Kenenisa Bekele, to win long-distance doubles at successive Olympics and World Championships, and the first in history to defend both distance titles in both major global competitions - a feat described as the 'quadruple-double'.[12] Farah's unbeaten streak in global distance finals runs to 9, having finished 2nd in the 10,000 metres at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics; as of 2017 he has won every global final at either distance since that date.

Born in Somalia, Farah moved to the UK as a child. He was originally based in London and ran for Newham and Essex Beagles athletics club, training at St Mary's University College, Twickenham from 2001 to 2011.

Farah is the European record holder for the 1500 m, 10,000 m, half marathon and two miles, the British record holder for the 5000 m, the European indoor record holder for 5000 m, the British indoor record in the 3000 m and the current indoor world record holder for the two miles.

He is the most decorated athlete in British athletics history, with nine global titles, and was the first British athlete to win two gold medals at the same world championships, although Dame Kelly Holmes had achieved the feat at an Olympic Games. His five gold medals at the European Athletics Championships make him the most successful individual athlete in 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. Farah was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2013 and was created a Knight Bachelor in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to athletics.[13]

Early life and education

Farah was born on 23 March 1983 in Mogadishu, Somalia.[14] His full name is Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah.[15] He spent the early years of his childhood in Djibouti with his twin brother.[16] He moved to Britain at the age of eight to join his father, speaking barely a word of English.[16][17] His grandfather, Jama, was born in the British protectorate of Somaliland.[18] His father, Mukhtar Farah, is an IT consultant and a British citizen, who was born in London, England and grew up in Hounslow.[19][20][21] Mohamed's parents had met during a holiday.[21]

Farah attended Isleworth and Syon School, and Feltham Community College. His athletic talent was first identified by physical education teacher Alan Watkinson.[22] Farah's ambition was to become a car mechanic or play as a right winger for Arsenal football club.[23] He later joined the Borough of Hounslow Athletics Club in west London.[24][25]

Junior career

Farah represented Hounslow at cross-country in the London Youth Games.[26] In 1996, at the age of 13, he entered the English schools cross-country and finished ninth. The following year he won the first of five English school titles.[22] Recognizing his talent, athletics philanthropist Eddie Kulukundis paid the legal fees to complete Farah's naturalisation as a British citizen, allowing Farah to travel to competitions without visa issues.[27][28]

Farah's first major title was at 5000 metres at the European Athletics Junior Championship in 2001,[29] the same year that he began training at St Mary's University College, 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.

Senior career

2005–2008: First titles and personal bests

Farah at the 2008 European Cross Country Championships.

In 2005, Farah moved in with Australian Craig Mottram and a group of Kenyan runners that included 10,000 m world number one Micah Kogo. "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," Farah said. "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 number one, I want to be up there with the best."[22]

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'."[22] In December 2006, Farah won the 2006 European Cross Country Championships in San Giorgio su Legnano, Italy.[30]

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.[31][32]

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.

2009–2010: British records and European champion

In January 2009, Farah set a new British indoor record in the 3000 metres, breaking John Mayock's record with a time of 7 minutes 40.99 seconds in Glasgow.[33] A few weeks later, he broke his own record by more than six seconds with a time of 7 minutes 34.47 at the UK Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham,[34] a performance which commentator Steve Cram called "the best performance by a male British distance runner for a generation".[35] Farah attributed his good form to a spell of winter training at altitude in Ethiopia and Kenya.[36] In March 2009 he took gold in the 3000 m at the European Indoor Championships in Turin, recording a time of 7 minutes 40.17.[37]

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.[38]

Farah was one of the favourites to upset Serhiy Lebid's dominance at the 2009 European Cross Country Championships.[39] 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.[40] He did not manage to attend the medal ceremony, however, as he collapsed immediately after the race and needed medical attention.[41] After a close third place behind Edwin Soi at the BOclassic,[42] 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.[43]

Farah celebrating winning the 10,000 m at the 2010 European Athletics Championships

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.[44] 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.[45] 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.[46] He then went on to win the 5000 m from Jesus España, 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.[47][48]

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.[49]

In December 2010, Farah was named track-and-field athlete of the year by the British Olympic Association.[50] He closed the year at the BO classic and just missed out on the 10,000 m title, losing to Imane Merga in a sprint finish by 0.2 seconds.[51]

2011: European and British records, and world medals

The post box on London Road, Isleworth, painted in honour of Farah as part of a scheme to celebrate Britain's 2012 Olympic gold medal winners

2011 was a successful year for Farah, beginning on 8 January at the Edinburgh Cross Country, where he defeated the top four finishers of that year's European Championships to take victory in the long race.[52]

In February 2011, Farah announced that he would be relocating to Portland, Oregon to work with new coach Alberto Salazar, train alongside Galen Rupp, and avoid the attention of the British tabloids.[10][53] 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.[54] 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.[55][56] 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.[57] 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.[58] Farah edged out American Bernard Lagat to win the race.[58]

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.[59] He became the first British man to win a World Championships medal over either distance.[60] Farah had in fact been more strongly favored 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".[61]

2012: Double Olympic champion

Farah on the way to his first Olympic gold medal during the 10,000 m event at the 2012 Summer Olympics

At the London 2012 Olympics, on 4 August, Farah won the 10,000 m gold in a time of 27:30.42. This was Great Britain's first Olympic gold medal in the 10,000 m, and came after two other gold medals for the country in the same athletics session.[62][63] His training partner, Galen Rupp of the United States, took second place. Both runners are coached by Alberto Salazar. Farah stated that he would observe his Ramadan fast later in the year.[64] On 11 August 2012, Farah made it a long-distance double, winning the 5000 metres in a time of 13:41.66.[65] The noise from the crowd in the 5,000 m race was so loud it made the camera shake and distorted the photo-finish image.[66] This then made Mo Farah the only athlete to win this European title more than once, Barcelona (2010) and Helsinki (2012).[67] He dedicated the two golds to his twin daughters.

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 (3.2 km).[68]

CBE

Following his 2012 successes, Farah was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2013 New Year Honours for services to athletics.[69][70] The move was met with anger by many in the general public, including erstwhile Minister of Sports Gerry Sutcliffe, who felt that Farah instead deserved a higher accolade.[71][72] Farah's former physical education teacher Alan Watkinson similarly indicated that he was disappointed that Farah was not knighted and that the decision "discredits the system although it's still a fantastic achievement for Mo and well deserved."[72] However, deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg cited Farah's Olympic double gold win in his 2013 New Year's message and 2012 Autumn conference,[73][74] and David Cameron on August 2013 expressed support for a knighthood for Mo Farah.[75]

2013: 1500 m record and world medals

On 19 July 2013, at the Herculis meeting in Monaco, Farah broke the European 1500 m record with a time of 3:28.81. The feat meant that he was the sixth fastest man ever over the distance, overtaking Steve Cram's 28-year-old British record and Fermín Cacho's 16-year-old European record.[76] It also made Farah the seventh man, behind Saïd Aouita, Daniel Komen, Ali Saïdi-Sief, Hicham El Guerrouj, Augustine Kiprono Choge and Bernard Lagat to break both the 3:30 barrier in the 1500 metres and the 13-minute barrier in the 5000 metres. More remarkably, it made Farah the only athlete in history to run sub 3:30, sub 13-minute and sub 27-minute for 1500 metres, 5000 metres and 10,000 metres respectively. Additionally, he has a sub 1 hour run in the half-marathon.

Farah during his gold medal victory in the men's 3,000 metres event at the 2013 London Grand Prix.

The following month, Farah won the London Diamond League Anniversary Games' 3000 metres event in a time of seven minutes and 36.85 seconds.[77] He twice broke the national record in the half-marathon, first on 24 February in New Orleans, then broke his own record on 15 September in the Bupa Great North run.

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.[78] On 16 August 2013, Farah won the 5,000 m event, in the process becoming double world and Olympic champion.[79] After this victory, BBC commentator Brendan Foster and Sebastian Coe called Farah 'Britain's greatest ever athlete'.[80] Farah became only the second man in history to win a long-distance titles at successive editions of the Olympics and World Championships, after Kenenisa Bekele's 2008–09 feat.[81] He was the first British athlete to win two individual gold medals at a World Championships.[78][82][83]

In December 2013, Farah was the second favourite sportsperson 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's possible for all dedicated athletes.[84]

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.[85]

2014: Double gold in Zürich

Farah on the way to victory in the 5000m men final of the 2014 European Athletics Championships.

Farah began 2014 preparing for the year's London Marathon, his first such run. He described running the event as a longstanding ambition of his, particularly to do so in London.[86] Farah finished in eighth place in a time of 2:08.21. This was outside Steve Jones' GB record, but set a new English national record.[87]

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.[88] 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.[89] This made him the most successful individual in the history of the European Athletics Championships, with five titles to his name.[90]

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.[91]

2015: World and European records

On 21 February 2015, Farah broke the indoor two-mile world record at the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix. He ran an 8:03.4 to break Kenenisa Bekele's record.[92]

On 22 March 2015, Farah broke the European record for half marathon in Lisbon. He ran a time of 59 minutes, 32 seconds, 20 seconds, surpassing the record set 14 years previously by Spain's Fabián Roncero.[93]

He repeated his long-distance gold medal double at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics. His seven global titles are four more than any other British athlete (Daley Thompson, Jonathan Edwards, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Christine Ohurougu have three each).[94] In winning the 10,000 m he became the oldest ever global winner at the event at age 32.[95]

2016: Double-Double Olympic Golds at Rio

On 26 March, Farah received a bronze medal in the 2016 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff, finishing in 59:59, behind two Kenyans Geoffrey Kamworor (59:10) and Bedan Karoki (59:36), ahead of Abayneh Ayele in a time of 59:59.[96][97] On the 20th of February, Farah won the Glasgow Indoor Grand Prix 3000m event.[98] On 5 June 2016, Farah broke the 34-year old British 3000 meter record set by Moorcroft, which was set before he was born by winning the Diamond League in Birmingham, a win he dedicated to the recently deceased boxer Muhammad Ali.[99] In July 2016 Farah set the concurrent world-leading time in the 5000m in winning the Diamond League in London.[100] He won the 10,000m at the Diamond League in Eugene, in a time of 26:53.71 which remained the second-fastest time in the world of the year.[101]

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.[102] After being accidentally clipped on the back of the heel by American Galen Rupp on the 10th lap he fell,[103] 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 5th 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.[citation needed]

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's 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, becoming only the second time someone has retained the 5000m and 1000m Olympic titles, after Lasse Viren of Finland in the 1970s.[104] In September 2016, he won the Great North Run for a record third consecutive year.[105]

In 2016, he was the fastest person from the European continent over two middle distance events and three long-distance events; the 1500 meters, 3000 meters, 5000 meters, 10,000 meters and the half-marathon respectively.[106] 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.[107] Farah's distance double was voted the second-most memorable TV-moment of the year by British voters according to an ASDA poll.[108]

Trademark

Mo Farah completing his "Mobot" signature pose at the 2013 London Anniversary Games.

Farah is noted for his unique victory celebration dance known as the "Mobot". He adopted the move following a television appearance in May 2012 opposite sports presenter Clare Balding, on the panel game show A League of Their Own. The host James Corden suggested to the panelists that they should think of a new dance to mark Farah's winning celebration, and Balding subsequently came up with the "M" gesture called "Mobot". While demonstrating it for the first time, she indicated that the part of the move intended to represent the "M" in "Mo" was inspired by the dance to "Y.M.C.A.", a popular song by the Village People. Corden himself then named it as the "Mobot".[109] A robot was named "Mobot" at a university research exhibition, in honour of Farah's celebration.[110] Farah has since used the pose as part of a charity to raise funds for his foundation.[citation needed] Virgin Media has promised to donate £2 for every YouTube video that is uploaded with someone doing the mobot.[111] Other distinctive features of Farah's persona is his signature Shabba in online postings.[112]

His running style has been described as "bouncy" and tactical,[113][114] which he has attempted to alter for a more efficient and energy-saving stride pattern, especially in the longer distances.[85] Farah runs distance races tactically, but also maintains a fast yet tactical pace and has a quick sprint finish.[115]

Personal life

Family and interests

Farah has a twin brother, Hassan, who lives in Somalia. They were separated at eight years old, when Mo, his two younger brothers, and his mother joined their father who had been working and studying in the UK; however, Hassan was unwell and unable to travel, so stayed behind with family in Djibouti. When Farah's father returned to collect Hassan, the family he was living with had moved and couldn't be found. Farah and his twin ended up being separated for twelve years. Hassan is now a telecoms engineer with a wife and five children. Farah has a third younger brother who was also born after the family's move to London.[116]

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 usher.[117][118] Farah has a stepdaughter named Rihanna from this relationship.[119] He and his wife have twin daughters called Aisha and Amani, born in August 2012.[120] In 2015, Farah and Nell had a son called Hussein.

Farah is a devout Muslim,[121] and is an active supporter of the Muslim Writers Awards.[122] Islam is an important part of his preparation: "I normally pray before a race, I read dua [Islamic prayers or invocations], 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."[123] An RISSC publication named Farah as among the 500 most influential Muslims in the world in 2013.[124]

Farah is also a fan of Arsenal F.C., and has trained with its first team squad.[125][126] He has indicated a desire to become a fitness coach at the Emirates Stadium in Holloway[127] once he retires so as to improve its conditioning record.[126] In October 2013, he launched a book titled Mo Farah, Twin Ambitions: My autobiography in Canary Wharf, London.[128]

Farah has a large following on social media. This includes roughly 1.5 million followers on Twitter and 1.1 million on Facebook. In 2013, he was the top-ranked query for a sportsperson on the search engine Microsoft UK Bing who was not a footballer.[129]

As of January 2014, Farah's main place of residence is Portland, Oregon, United States, where he and his wife and daughters have a home.[130]

Philanthropy

Farah at the 2010 London Youth Games Hall of Fame and Awards Evening.

Farah is additionally involved in various philanthropic initiatives, launching the Mo Farah Foundation after a trip to Somalia in 2011.[131] The following year, he participated in ITV's The Cube and won £250,000 for his foundation, becoming the first person ever to win the top prize on the show.[132] Along with other high-profile athletes, Farah later took part in the 2012 Olympic hunger summit at 10 Downing Street hosted by Prime Minister David Cameron, part of a series of international efforts which have sought to respond to the return of hunger as a high-profile global issue.[133]

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).[134] In 2013, he likewise joined legislators and activists in a campaign urging Barclays Bank to repeal its decision to withdraw from the UK remittance market. Farah often used the money transfer operators to send remittances to family, and some of the world's largest organizations and charities, including the UN and his own foundation, likewise paid staff and channeled funds through these services.[135] In March 2013, Farah, singer Robbie Williams, and a number of other celebrities also urged Chancellor George Osborne to clamp down on global corporations that avoid paying taxes in poor countries in which they operate.[136] He has also expressed support for research into brain tumours.[137]

Endorsements, advertising and sponsorships

Farah has endorsement deals with a number of companies, including PACE Sports Management, Nike, Lucozade, Quorn, Bupa and Virgin Media.[131] He is expected to earn roughly £10 million in advertising and sponsorships besides making roughly £250,000 – £450,000 during exhibitions, and promoting "Brand Mo" with the management firm Octagen.[130][138] His work with Nike Inc. includes training at the Nike Oregon Project and marketing of clothing and shoes.[139][140][141] In order to better preserve his earnings after taxes, Farah also applied in 2013 to have his main place of residence changed to Portland, where he spends most of the year training.[130]

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.[142]

Travel security

In 2012–2013, Farah intimated that he had been stopped a number of times by U.S. Customs officials under suspicion of being a terrorist, which he attributed to confusion between his full name "Mohamed" and a computerized check-in process.[143] On one occasion after the 2012 Olympics, he asserted that he had attempted to prove his identity by showing his Olympic gold medals to customs officials, but that this was not accepted.[144]

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."[145] The UK Foreign Office later said that the President Trump's ban did not apply to Farah.

Blood test

In summer 2015, Farah provided a public blood test in an effort to dispel concerns following various events including pictures posted by Hamza Driouch, who is banned from competing for doping violations, to Facebook which showed him training with Farah.[146] Farah was seen running directly in front of Driouch during a training session. Management for Mo Farah suggested, however, that the training session was merely Farah employing local athletes to pace him and that he does not have any control over who joins in the training session. Hamza Driouch has been officially banned from attending training sessions in any capacity for two years from 31 December 2014.[147] In June 2015, in a BBC Panorama documentary, it was alleged that Farah's coach Alberto Salazar was guilty of doping offences at the Nike Oregon Project. The programme did not accuse Farah of any wrongdoing.[148] On 6 June 2015 Farah held a press conference in which he expressed his anger that his name was "being dragged through mud". He withdrew from a 1500 metres event at the Birmingham Diamond League race on 7 June, describing himself as "emotionally and physically drained".[149] Farah said he had been told by Salazar he was not involved in Mary Slaney's career at the time she tested positive for testosterone but this version of Salazar's history has been challenged.[150]

Game shows

Farah is the first person to win the full jackpot on ITV's game show The Cube, presented by Phillip Schofield.[151]

Awards and honours

Athletics

Other

National titles

International competitions

Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
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 Oostende, 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 Tokyo, 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 6th (heats) 5000 m 13:44.07
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 CR
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

Circuit wins

All information from Association of Road Racing Statisticians.[178]

Personal bests

Category Event Time Date Place
Outdoor 800 m 1:48.69 5 August 2003 Eton
1500 m 3:28.81 AR 19 July 2013 Monaco
One mile 3:56.49 6 August 2005 London
2000 m 5:06.34 9 March 2006 Melbourne
3000 m 7:32.62 NR 5 June 2016 Birmingham
Two miles 8:07.85 AR 24 August 2014 Birmingham
5000 m 12:53.11 NR 22 July 2011 Monaco
10,000 m 26:45.57 AR 3 June 2011 Eugene
Indoor 1500 m 3:39.03 28 January 2012 Glasgow
One mile 3:57.92 4 February 2012 Boston
3000 m 7:33.1 NR 21 February 2015 Birmingham
Two miles 8:03.40 WR 21 February 2015 Birmingham
5000 m 13:10.60 AR 19 February 2011 Birmingham
Road 10 km 27:44 31 May 2010 London
15 km 42:03+ AR 26 March 2016 Cardiff
10 miles 46:25 25 October 2009 Portsmouth
20 km 56:27 AR 22 March 2015 Lisbon
Half marathon 59:23a 13 September 2015 Great North Run
59:32 AR 22 March 2015 Lisbon
Marathon 2:08:21 13 April 2014 London Marathon

+ intermediate split in longer race
a = aided road course according to IAAF rule 260.28

Biographical works

Autobiography

  • Twin Ambitions: My Autobiography (2013, Hodder & Stoughton) ISBN 9781444779585

Children's fiction

  • Ready Steady Mo! (with Kes Gray; illustrated by Marta Kissi) (2016, Hodder Children's Books) ISBN 9781444934076

Biopic

  • Mo Farah: No Easy Mile; a non-fictional account of Farah's journey to the Olympics[179]

Other

  • Cardiff native Sonny Double 1 released a biographical grime musical named Mo Farah in 2016.[180]

See also

References

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  159. ^ "BOA Announce Olympic Athletes of the Year 2013". Team GB. 23 December 2013. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
  160. ^ Young, Ken (30 December 2013). "The Running Times 2013 Runners of the Year". Running Times. Retrieved 13 August 2014.
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  162. ^ The 50 Most Influential People In Running – By Runner's World. Rw.runnersworld.com. Retrieved on 14 December 2015.
  163. ^ "2015 LRC Year-End Rankings, Men's 5,000: Mo Farah (Who Else?) Is #1 In World; Ben True, Galen Rupp & Ryan Hill Lead A Fine Crop Of Americans". LetsRun.com. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
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  166. ^ http://www.athleticsweekly.com/featured/mo-farah-voted-basc-athlete-of-the-year-53743
  167. ^ a b http://www.athleticsweekly.com/featured/farah-ennis-hill-winners-2016-aw-readers-choice-awards-54331
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  169. ^ "Winners honoured at British Muslim Awards". Asian Image. 31 January 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2015. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  170. ^ Molloy, Antonia (2 February 2014). "Wildlife presenter David Attenborough is named the UK's most trustworthy figure". The Independent. London.
  171. ^ "World's 100 Most Powerful Arabs". Arabian Business. Retrieved 19 August 2014.
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  173. ^ Ashton, James (16 September 2015) The Progress 1000: George Osborne and England rugby captain Chris Robshaw named as most influential Londoners. standard.co.uk
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  177. ^ "No. 61803". The London Gazette (invalid |supp= (help)). 31 December 2016.
  178. ^ Mohamed Farah Mukhtar. Association of Road Racing Statisticians. Retrieved on 5 October 2015.
  179. ^ http://www.heyuguys.com/win-mo-farah-no-easy-mile-dvd/
  180. ^ https://soundcloud.com/acepacinocf11/sonnydouble1-mo-farah
Records
Preceded by Men's 10,000m European Record Holder
3 June 2011–
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by Men's 1,500m European Record Holder
19 July 2013 –
Succeeded by
Incumbent
Preceded by Men's Half-Marathon European Record Holder
22 March 2015–
Succeeded by
Incumbent

.