Mo Farah Biography: Age, Personal Life, Facts, Achievements & Net Worth

One of the greatest middle-distance runners of all-time, Mo Farah is a track and field athlete who has won successive medals at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics in 5000m and 10,000m discipline.

Mo Farah is the second athlete in modern Olympic Games history after Lasse Viren to win both the 5000m and 10,000 m titles at successive Olympic Games. The British athlete also holds the record of winning successive golds at World Championships in 2013 and 2015.

Mo Farah Early Life

Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah was born in Mogadishu, Somalia, on 23 March 1983 but due to the tensions in the capital state, the Farah moved to Djibouti along with his twin brother. Mo Farah was looked after by his grandparents as his father at that time used to work at Heathrow airport as a general assistant in England.

Farah landed in England when he was just eight years old, speaking barely a word of English. Shockingly, he didn’t live with his father and ended up living with his mother.

Farah completed his education from Feltham Community college in London. Due to his difficulty to speak English, the British athlete faced a lot of challenges in academics, until one of his senior teachers, Alan Watkinson came to his rescue.

Seeing his talent in football and athletics, Watkinson nurtured him in Farah’s early days of his career.

Mo Farah Professional Career

Mo Farah won his first major national title- the English schools cross country championship when he was 15 years old, while he won his first International title ( 1500m junior championship title) in 2001.

After studying at Feltham Community College in London, Farah joined Endurance and performance coaching centre at St Mary’s University. To support finances, he also worked in fast-food restaurants and sales assistant for sports retailer, sweetshop.

In the year 2006, Farah earned his first European gold medal at the 10,000 cross country championships. In the year 2008, he was qualified for the 5000m in Beijing Olympics but failed to qualify for the finals.

The year 2010 saw him winning medals in both 5000m and 10,000m at the European athletics championships, after which Farah decided to take Alberto Salazar has his full-time coach.

Farah won 5000m at the European athletics championship in the year 2011 and settled for silver in the 10,000m, strengthening his position for a medal at the 2012 Olympics.

Mo Farah took the world by storm when he won gold in 5000m at the 2012 Olympics. Only a week later, the British athlete clinched gold in 10000m as well, thereby making him a double Olympic gold medallist.

Post his massive success at the Olympics, he was in the news and received wide appreciation for achieving the feat. The British athlete started Mo Farah foundation in a bid to support orphans in Somalia. During this time, Farah also became a father to twins.

At the 2016 Olympics, Mo Farah did the impossible, winning 5000m and 10,000m events, becoming the second player after Lasse Viren to win both 5000m and 10,000m titles at the successive Olympics in 2012 and 2016.

Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah announced his retirement from track running in a bid to focus on the marathon.

Mo Farah Personal Life

Mo Farah is a British double Olympic champion who has a twin brother named Hassan who is a telecom engineer and has five children. Farah tied the knots to his long-time girlfriend Tania Nell in Richmond, London on April 2010.

In April 2010, Farah married his longtime girlfriend Tania Nell in Richmond, London. Other athletes at the wedding included Paula Redcliffe, Steve Cram, Hayley Yelling, Jo Pavey, Mustafa Mohamed, and Scott Overall, who was an usher. 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, 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.

Farah is a Muslim and is an active supporter of the Muslim Writers Awards. 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 to improve its conditioning record. In October 2013, he launched a book titled Mo Farah, Twin Ambitions: My autobiography in Canary Wharf, London.

Mo Farah Awards

2006 British Athletics Writers’ Association Award.
2010 British Athletics Writers’ Association Award.
2010 Best Senior Athlete of 2010 (UK Aviva Athletics Awards).
2010 London Youth Games Hall of Fame.
2011 British Athletics Writers’ Association Award.
2011 European Athlete of the Year.
2011 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, 3rd place
2011 Athletics Weekly International Male Athlete
2012 British Athletics Writers’ Association Award.
2012 European Athlete of the Year.
2012 Laureus World Sports Award for Breakthrough of the Year, nominee
2012 Athletics Weekly International Male Athlete
2013 IAAF World Athlete of the Year, finalist
2013 British Athletics Writers’ Association Award.
2013 Athletics Weekly International Male Athlete.
2013 Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year, nominee
2013 British Olympic Association Olympic athlete of the year.
2013 AIPS Europe Sportsmen of the Year – Frank Taylor Trophy
2013 Rodale, Inc., Running Times – Runner of the Year.
2014 Jesse Owens International Athlete Trophy, nominee.
2014 Laureus World Sports Award for Sportsman of the Year, nominee
2015 World Record, 2-mile run, Birmingham
Runners World top 50 influential individuals in running.
2015 fastest men’s 10,000-meter runner.
2016 BAWA Athlete of the Year.
2016 British Athletics Supporters Club athlete of the year.
2016 Athletics Weekly International Male Athlete of the Year, ahead of Usain Bolt.
2016 Athletics Weekly British Male Athlete of the Year.
2017 Sportsman of the Year at the Lycamobile British Ethnic Diversity Sports Awards (BEDSAs)
2017 BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, 1st place
2013 Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE).
2013 Premier Inn Celebrity Dad of The Year.
2013 Best at Sport award at the British Muslim Awards.
6th place, Freuds Heroes Index.
2014 World’s 100 Most Powerful Arabs, Arabian Business.
2015, clothing firm Rohan’s 8th greatest Briton of all time.
2015 Evening Standard’s top 25 most influential Londoners.
2016 Sports Relief highest polled sporting London hero with 27% of the vote
2016, Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Award for Inspirational Athlete.
2016, 5th most powerful Black Briton, on 10th anniversary of Power list, African and Caribbean heritage listing.
2017, Created a Knight Bachelor for services to Athletics.
Awarded OLY post nominal title from World Olympians Association

Mo Farah Achievements

Mo Farah bagged a gold medal in the 5000m event at the European Junior Championships, held in Italy.
Mo Farah made headlines when he bagged a gold medal in the 5000m at the European Cup.
In the year 2009, the British athlete won a gold medal at the European team championships in the 5000m event.
Year 2010 saw him winning gold in both 5000m and 10000m event at the European championships.
He took the world by storm after winning gold in both 5000m and 10000m events at 2012 Olympic Games, held in London.
Mo Farah then bagged gold at 2014 World championships at 5000m and 10,000m event.
Mo Farah bagged stunned everyone at 2016 Olympics, winning gold in 5000m and 10,000m for the second time in a row at the event.

Mo Farah Personal Information
Full Name: Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah
Nationality: British
Age: 36
Sun Sign: Aries
Birth Place: Mogidishu, Somalia.
Height: 5’9
Father: Muktar Farah
Mother: Amran Farah
Children: Aisha Farah, Amani Farah, Rhianna Farah

Doping Allegation

Farah has been accused of doping a number of times in his track career, however, the British athlete has never been found guilty of any violation. Farah has never used any banned substance in her career and has often bashed media for making such allegations.

Mo Farah Net Worth
British athlete, Mo Farah’s estimated net worth is aggregated to £4m.

Mo Farah Controversy
Ahead of the London Marathon 2019, Mo Farah was accused of hitting a couple in a hotel in Ethiopia. His fellow long-distance legend Haile Gebrselassie had even accused him of punching and kicking the couple. The Olympian, however, strongly denied the allegations made against him. Farah later finished fifth in the race in what was his fourth marathon but denied any statement which said if the row affected his performance in the race.

Social Media Handles
Mo Farah Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MoFarahGold/
Mo Farah Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gomofarah/
Mo Farah Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mo_Farah