British/Somali · Mogadishu, Somalia · Born 23 March 1983British-Somali long-distance runner, four-time Olympic champion and six-time World Champion in 5000m and 10000m events, knighted in 2017
Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah was born in Mogadishu, Somalia in 1983 and moved to the UK aged 8 as an unaccompanied child, raised in London by a family friend before reuniting with relatives. He became Great Britain's greatest distance runner — winning 4 Olympic gold medals and 6 World Championship titles across the 5000m and 10000m. He won the 5000m and 10000m double at London 2012 — completing the Mo-bot celebration in front of a home crowd — and repeated the double at Rio 2016, becoming the first man to retain both Olympic distance titles simultaneously. He won World Championship doubles in 2011, 2013 and 2015. His personal bests of 12:53.11 for 5000m and 26:46.57 for 10000m — a European record — reflect sustained brilliance at the top of distance running across a decade. He later transitioned to the road, running the European record half marathon of 59:32 and a marathon personal best of 2:05:11. He was knighted in 2017. In 2022 he revealed he had been brought to the UK illegally as a child — the disclosure generating significant public discussion about child trafficking and immigration.
Double Olympic champion in 5000m and 10000m at two consecutive Olympics
He arrived in Britain as an 8-year-old refugee who could not speak English — and left as a four-time Olympic champion.
Did You Know?How They Played
Devastating finishing kick, tactical racing, exceptional track positioning
Lasting Impact
Greatest British distance runner in history, first British athlete to win Olympic gold in 5000m and 10000m
Career Honours
- Olympic Gold 5000m, 10000m London 2012
- Olympic Gold 5000m, 10000m Rio 2016
- World Champion 5000m 2011, 2013, 2015
- World Champion 10000m 2011, 2013, 2015
- Knighthood 2017
- European Record 10,000m (26:46.57)
British/Somali Athletes