Mo Farah
Most decorated male track distance runner in history.
Sir Mohamed "Mo" Muktar Jama Farah, originally named Hussein Abdi Kahin, was born on 23 March 1983 and is a retired British long-distance runner. He owns more global championship gold medals than any other male track distance runner in history—four from the Olympics and six from the World Championships—and is the most decorated British track athlete at the Olympic Games.
Farah won gold in both the 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics, making him only the second athlete, after Lasse Virén, to achieve this double at consecutive Games. He repeated the feat at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships, becoming the first man to defend both distance titles in both major global competitions, a run called the "quadruple-double." After taking silver in the 5,000 metres and the 10,000 metres at the 2011 World Championships, he went on an unbeaten streak of ten global final victories, spanning the double in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016, and the 10,000 metres in 2017. That streak ended in his final championship track race, the 2017 5,000 metres final, where he placed second to Ethiopia's Muktar Edris.
Though he mainly raced the 5,000 and 10,000 metres on the track, Farah competed from 1,500 metres up to the marathon. In 2017, after winning his last track race—the IAAF Diamond League 5,000-metre final—he announced a full switch to road racing. He won the 2018 Chicago Marathon in 2:05:11, a European record. His running style was described as bouncy and tactical, and he worked to make it more efficient for longer distances. He relied on a fast sprint finish, with *Athletics Weekly* noting he could run 24 strong laps before a blistering 400-metre dash that his East African rivals could not match.
Born in the Somali Democratic Republic, Farah was trafficked from Djibouti to London at age nine under the name of another child, Mohamed Farah, and forced into child labour. He kept that name and became a British citizen. He ran for the Newham and Essex Beagles club and trained at St Mary's University College, Twickenham from 2001 to 2011. He did not reveal his trafficking until 2022.
Farah holds the world best for the one-hour run (21,330 metres) and the European record for the outdoor 10,000 metres (26:46.57). He also holds British records for the 3,000 metres (7:32.62) and 5,000 metres (12:53.11). He previously held the world best for the short tra
- born
- 23 March 1983
- field
- Long-distance running
- nationality
- British
- known_for
- Most global championship gold medals by a male track distance runner; Olympic double-double in 5,000 m and 10,000 m
Quick Facts
- Honorific Prefix
- Sir
- Honorific Suffix
- size=100% · CBE · OLY
- Birth Name
- Hussein Abdi Kahin
- Full Name
- Mohamed Muktar Jamah Farah
- Birth Date
- df=yes · 1983 · 3 · 23
- Birth Place
- Gabiley, Somali Democratic Republic
- Citizenship
- United Kingdom
- Sport
- Athletics/Track, Long-distance running
- Country
- Great Britain
- Years Active
- 1996–2023
- Event
- 10,000 metres, 5000 metres, 1500 metres, Half marathon, Marathon
- Club
- Newham and Essex Beagles, London
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Farah was born Hussein Abdi Kahin in the Somali Democratic Republic. At age nine, he was trafficked from Djibouti to London under the name of another child, Mohamed Farah, and forced into child labour. He adopted that name and became a British citizen. He did not reveal his trafficking until 2022. His athletic talent was first identified by physical education teacher Alan Watkinson at Feltham Community College.
Farah won the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medals in both the 5,000 m and 10,000 m, becoming the second athlete after Lasse Virén to win both titles at successive Olympics. He also completed the distance double at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships, the first man to defend both distance titles in both major global competitions—a feat described as the 'quadruple-double'. His unbroken streak of ten global final wins ended when he finished second in the 2017 5,000 m final.
Farah holds the world record for the one-hour run (21,330 m) and the European record for the outdoor 10,000 m (26:46.57). He also holds British records for the 3,000 m and 5,000 m. He was knighted in the 2017 New Year Honours and won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2017.
Reader's Guide
Mo Farah's significance lies in his unprecedented dominance across Olympic and World Championship distance events, achieving a quadruple-double that no male track distance runner had accomplished before. His tactical running style—described as bouncy and reliant on a blistering 400-metre sprint finish—allowed him to outkick East African rivals who could match his endurance. Beyond his medals, Farah's story of being trafficked as a child and later becoming a knighted British sporting icon highlights resilience and raises awareness of human trafficking. His switch to road racing after 2017, including a European record in the Chicago Marathon, extended his legacy beyond the track. He remains the most successful British track athlete in Olympic history and a benchmark for distance running excellence.
Did You Know?
- Farah was trafficked from Djibouti to London at age nine and forced into child labour; he did not reveal this until 2022.
- He is the second athlete, after Lasse Virén, to win both the 5,000 m and 10,000 m at successive Olympic Games.
- Farah holds the world record for the one-hour run (21,330 m) and the European record for the outdoor 10,000 m (26:46.57).
- He was appointed CBE in 2013 and knighted in the 2017 New Year Honours.
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