Mo Farah

Event: Distance (1500m-10000m)

Date of Birth: 23rd March 1983

Place of Birth: Somalia

Club: Newham and Essex Beagles

Personal Bests (Outdoor):
1500m - 3:33.98 (Monaco) 2009
5000m - 12:53.11 (Monaco) 2011
10000m - 26:46.57 (Eugene, OR) 2011
Half Mar: 60:23 (New York) 2011

Honours:
2011 Daegu World Championships - Gold (5,000m), Silver (10,000m)
2010 Barcelona European Championships - Gold (10000m), Gold (5000m)
2009 Torino European Indoor Championships - Gold (3000m)
2009 Leiria European Team Championships - Gold (5000m)
2009 Dublin European Cross Country Championships - Silver (individual), Silver (team)
2008 Brussells European Cross Country Championships - Silver (individual), Bronze (team)
2006 Goteborg European Championships - Silver (5000m)
2006 San Giorgio European Cross Country Championships - Gold (individual)

English Schools Performance 

1997 Junior Boys 1500m - 1st
1998 Intermediate Boys 3000m - 1st
1998 Intermediate Boys Cross Country - 2nd
1999 Intermediate Boys 1500m - 1st
1999 Intermediate Boys Cross Country - 1st

Mo Farah was born in Somalia and moved to England when he was eight. His main passion was football, but his PE teacher saw that he was a fast runner and encouraged him to join the school running club. He performed consistently well in English Schools Championships and he has grown into one of England's strongest and most consistent long distance runners. In 2011 he continued his improvements as he broke the European and British records for both 10,000m and 5,000m beating world class opposition on each occasion. Then at the World Championships after narrowly missing out on Gold in an epic 10,000m Mo returned to take the 5,000m title in a ferocious last lap.