Mo Farah is a British distance runner who is the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medalist in both the 5000 m and 10,000 m. He is just the second athlete in modern Olympic Games history to successfully defend the 5000 m and 10,000 m titles; the first one was Lasse Virén. Though he mostly competes in the 5000 m and 10,000 m, he has also enjoyed considerable success in the 1500 m and the marathon. He also holds the British indoor record in the 3000 m and the current indoor world record for the two miles. Let’s explore more about him through this article.
What is Mo Farah famous for?
- A British distance runner.
How old is Mo Farah?
Recalling his early life, Mo Farah was born in Mogadishu, Somalia in the year 1983. Currently, he aged 36 years old. He is one of the six children of Muktar, an IT consultant, and Amran Farah. His full name is Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah. Born in an Islamic family, he was a devout Muslim from the start.
The family had to migrate from Somalia due to increasing violence and disturbances in the country. They moved to the UK when he was eight years old. One of his brothers Hassan was left behind due to illness, and they remained separated for 12 years. He had trouble adjusting to his new environment for he barely could speak English.
Where did Mo Farah go to school?
For education, He went to the Isleworth & Syon School and later to the Feltham Community College.
How Mo Farah become a distance runner?
- Moving towards his career, Mo Farah initially trained under coach Alan Storey in 2001 and won the 5000 m at the European Athletics Junior Championship title that year.
- As a senior, He clocked a time of 13 minutes 9.40 seconds for 5000 m to become Britain’s second-fastest runner after Dave Moorcroft, in 2006.
- The same year he won the silver medal in the European Championship 5000 m in Gothenburg and the 2006 European Cross Country Championships in San Giorgio Su Legnano, Italy.
- Over the next few years, he also trained in Kenya and Ethiopia following which he won European titles in 2010 in 5000 m and 10,000 m. He moved to Portland, Oregon, in 2011 to train under American coach Alberto Salazar.
- The year 2011 was a highly successful one for him. He won the gold in the 3000 m at the European Indoor Championships. He then proceeded to win the silver medal in the 10,000 m and then the gold in the 5000 m at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu, South Korea, becoming the first British man to win a World Championships medal over either distance.
- His career was poised to touch greater heights in 2012. At the London 2012 Olympics, he won Great Britain’s first Olympic gold medal in the 10,000 m, in a time of 27:30.42. He made a long-distance double at the 2012 Olympics when he won the 5000 m in a time of 13:41.66.
- In 2013, He broke the European 1500 m record with a time of 3:28.81 at the Herculis meeting in Monaco. With this feat, he effectively broke Steve Cram’s 28-year-old British record and Fermín Cacho’s 16-year-old European record. The same year, he also won the 10,000 m and 5000 m event at the World Championships in Moscow.
- He was supposed to compete at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow but an illness forced him to withdraw.
- In 2015, he broke the indoor two-mile world record at the Birmingham Indoor Grand Prix by running an 8:03.4 to break Kenenisa Bekele’s record. He proceeded to win the long-distance gold medal double at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics, at the age of 32.
- His amazing form continued at the 2016 Rio Olympics where he won gold medals at the 10,000 m and 5000 m, becoming the second athlete in modern Olympic Games history, after Lasse Virén, to successfully defend the 5000 m and 10,000 m titles.
- He announced that he would switch from track events to the marathon after the 2017 World Championships in Athletics. He won the 10,000m event and came 2nd in the 5,000m event after Ethiopia’s Muktar Edris.
- In March 2018, in preparation for the London Marathon, He won the inaugural London Big Half Marathon, his first race in six months. In the same year of September, He won the Great North Run for a record-extending 5th consecutive time.
- At the Chicago Marathon, he claimed his inaugural gold medal in the marathon distance and the process set a new European record of 2 hours 5 minutes and 11 seconds, an improvement by 37 seconds.
- In February 2019, He announced he planned to run again in the London Big Half Marathon in March 2019. In an interview, he also stated that he is considering competing in the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, which, if confirmed, would mark his fourth Olympic games.
Who is Mo Farah married to?
Reflecting on his personal life, Mo Farah is married to Tonia Nell. Together they have three children; twin daughters Aisha and Amani and a son Hussein. From an earlier marriage of Tonia, he is also the stepfather of a girl named Rihanna. Presently, the duo lives blissful life with their children without rumors of separation or divorce.
How much is Mo Farah’s worth?
Being a part of the sports industry, Mo Farah earns a decent amount of money and fame through his profession as a distance runner. Based on some online reports, his estimated net worth said to be $5 million at present. However, his salary and assets details are yet to be disclosed.
How tall is Mo Farah?
Observing his body physics, Farah stands a height of 5 feet 9 inches and weighs around 58 Kg. Similarly, he has an athletic with brown eyes and bade hair. His other body information is yet to be disclosed. In the case of disclosed, we will let you know.
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