Mo Farah: Controversies, Charity & Net Worth
Sir Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah, also known as Mo Farah, is a British long-distance runner.
He was born in Somalia but held British nationality and was awarded the CBE, which stands for Office of the order of the British Empire.
Moreover, in the modern Olympic Games history, Mo Farah is the most successful British track athlete.
He is the second athlete to win the 5000 m and 10000 m titles. Farah also became the second man to win the long-distance at quadruple-double.
Moreover, he had a series of ten unbroken global final wins until 2017 in 5000 meters.
Even though he mainly competed for 5000 m and 10000 m, he still participated in Marathon 1500 meters.
Furthermore, in 2017, he won his last and only IAAF Diamond League 5000 meters final.
Also, he is the first to win two gold medals in the same World Championships as a British athlete.
Quick Facts
Here are some facts about ten global titles holder, Mo Farah:
| Full Name | Sir Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah |
| Nick Name | Fly Mo |
| Birth Date | March 23, 1983 |
| Age | 41 Years Old |
| Gender | Male |
| Birth Place | Mogadishu, Somalia |
| Residence | London, Great Britain |
| Nationality | Britain |
| Religion | Muslim |
| Ethnicity | Somalian-born British |
| Education | St. Mary’s University, Twickenham Isleworth and Syon School Feltham Community College |
| Father’s Name | Mukhtar Farah |
| Mother’s Name | Amran Farah |
| Siblings | Hassan, Nimo, Mahad, Omar, Ahmed, Ifrah, Wahib (seven) |
| Height | In Centimeters – 175 cm In feet and Inches – 5’9″ |
| Weight | In Kilograms – 65 Kg In Pounds – 143 lbs |
| Profession | Former Long-distance Runner |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Wife | Tania Nell |
| Children | Aisha and Amani (twin daughters), Rihana (stepdaughter), Hussein (son) |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Sports | Athletics/Track, Long-distance Running |
| Clubs | Newham and Essex Beagles athletics club |
| Events | 100m, 800m, 1500m, 2000m, and Marathon |
| Coached By | Alberto Salazar, Charles Van Commenee Alan Storey, Alan Watkinson |
| Zodiac Sign | Aries |
| Birthstone | Aquamarine |
| Birth Flower | Daffodil Daffodils |
| Life Path Number | Eleven (11) |
| Net Worth | $6 Million |
| Active Years | 1996-Present |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube |
| Merch | Posters, Twin Ambitions – My Autobiography |
| Last Updated | April 2024 |
Mo Farah: Early Life and Education
Early Life
Farah was born to his mother Amran Farah and father, Mukhtar Farah. He lived in Mogadishu for some time, but his family was originally from Gabiley.
The family eventually moved from Gabiley to Mogadishu because Farah’s father had a business there.
Furthermore, he spent most of his childhood as a refugee in Djibouti along with his brother.
Hence, at the age of eight, he finally moved to Britain, but he barely spoke English.
Moreover, his father, Mukhtar, is a British citizen and an IT consultant, born and raised in Hounslow.
So, Farah joined his father in London and gained British nationality.
Education
Farah attended Isleworth and Syon School in Ridgeway, England. He then further joined Feltham Community College.
Moreover, this former athlete worked at McDonald’s while growing up.
His physical education teacher Alan Watkinson was the first to notice his athletic abilities.
Mo Farah: Age, Height, and Weight
The professional long-distance runner is currently 41 years old as he was born on March 23, 1983.
As per his birthdate, his zodiac sign is Aries, and his birthstone is Aquamarine. His life path number is eleven, and his birth flower is Daffodil Daffodils.
Similarly, Farah stands five feet and nine-inch tall or 1.75 meters and weighs 65 kilograms or 143 lbs.
Mo Farah: Career
Beginning Stage
Farah moved from Somalia to London, participated in English Schools cross-country, and came in the ninth position in 1996 at 13.
Moreover, at cross-country in the London Youth Games, he represented Hounslow. In 1997, he won the first five English school titles.
Eddie Kulukundis, a philanthropist, recognized his talent and paid the legal fees to complete his naturalization as a British citizen.
Further, this allowed him to travel for competitions without any visa problems.
In 2001, at the European Athletics Junior Championship, Farah won his first-ever major title in 5000 meters.
Also, he started training at St. Mary’s University, Twickenham, from 2001 to 2011.
Similarly, at St. Mary’s University, he was one of the first two athletes in the newly formed Endurance Performance Centre in the same year.
Olympic Medals and World Championships
Farah’s life changed through sports, and it just got better with his hard work and dedication.
Moreover, he failed several times to get where he is now.
Fly Mo won his first Olympic gold medal on August 4, 2012, at the London 2012 Olympics in 10000 meters.
Further, he was the first to win the gold medal for Great Britain in 10000 meters. This athlete also won the long-distance double 5000 meters on August 11, 2012.
Sir Mohamed won a gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 10000 meters on August 13, 2016, and became the first British athlete to win three athletic gold medals.
Sir Mohamed went on to win his second gold medal at the Rio Olympics in 5000 meters on August 20, the same year.
However, he failed to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.
Farah represented the UK in World Championships several times before, but his first win came in 2011 Daegu, South Korea, in 5000 meters.
As a result, he became the first British to win the gold medal once again. Also, he won the 10000 m event at the World Championship in Moscow on August 10, 2013.
Furthermore, Farah became the double world and Olympic champion in August 2013 as he won the 5000-meter event.
Again in 2015, he became the oldest to win the World Championship in Athletics in 10,000 meters.
In 2017, he said that after the 2017 World Championship, he would switch from track events to marathons.
Nevertheless, this British runner won the 2017 World Championship in 10,000 meters.
Therefore, Farah has four Olympic gold medals and seven World Championships gold medals in his name.
European Championships
In San Giorgio Su Legnano, Farah won the European Cross Country Championships in December 2006.
He won the 3000 meters final at the European Indoor Championship in Turin in March 2009 and again on March 5, 2011, in Paris.
In the 2010 European Athletics Championships, Farah became the fifth man in history to claim his gold in the 5000m/10,000m double.
Moreover, he became the first-ever British to create history by running under 13 minutes, breaking the previous record at the Diamond Meeting League in Zurich on August 19, 2010.
Also, by winning the 5000 meters final at the European Championships in June 2012, he became the first British to win the title more than once.
Despite suffering from a stomach ailment and tooth infection, this runner participated in the 2014 European Athletics Championship and won the 5000 meters and 10,000 meters finals.
Half Marathons
Furthermore, Farah started participating in half marathons and won his first British half marathon on September 7, 2014, with his personal best time of exactly one hour.
Likewise, he broke the European record for the half marathon in Lisbon on March 22, 2015.
In the 2016 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, he won Cardiff’s bronze medal on March 26.
The same year, he won the British half-marathon, Great North Run, for the third consecutive year in September.
Once again, in the following year, Sir Mohamed went on to win the Great North Run for the fourth consecutive time.
After becoming a full-time marathon runner, he won his first race in six months in March 2018.
Similarly, he won his second London Big Half Marathon on March 10, 2019, and further went on to win the 2019 Great North Run for the sixth consecutive time.
Hence, this proves that Sir Mo Farah is one talented and dedicated athlete.
Mo Farah: Personal Life
One of the greatest long-distance runners, Mo married his long-time girlfriend, Tania Nell, in April 2010 in Richmond, London.
Several athletes were invited to the wedding, including Steve Cram, Scott, Paula Radcliffe, Jo Pavey, Mustafa Mohamed, and Hayley Yelling.
Similarly, they have three children together, twin daughters (Aisha and Amani) and one son (Hussein).
Moreover, he also has a stepdaughter named Rihana.
Therefore, he has four children, the youngest one being the son, Hussein.
Furthermore, the twin daughters, Aisha and Amani, were born in August 2012, and the son, Hussein, was born in 2015.
Overall, Farah has a delighted and prosperous family.
Mo Farah: Net Worth and Income
The Somalian-born British long-distance runner has indeed come a very long way with his hard work and dedication.
The estimated net worth of Mo Farah is around $6 million.
He mostly earned his income from his long-time running career, and his average annual salary might have reached up to $320,000.
Also, he also from his brand deals from big companies like Nike, Hyundai, Louis Vuitton, Bupa, PACE, and Sports Magazine.
Likewise, he collaborates with Nike to market clothing and shoes and further earns six-figure annually through his contract.
Besides, he earns from his marathon exhibitions and deals with Quron.
You also might want to read about the fastest runner of all time Usain Bolt.
Mo Farah: Charity
After a trip to Somalia in 2011, Farah launched his foundation named Mo Farah Foundation.
The foundation ran from 2011 to 2016. Moreover, the runner had a personal reason behind establishing the foundation.
Somalia was suffering through drought, and he wanted to provide aid to the people affected by it as he was born in Somalia.
He also participated in a reality show, The Cube, to help raise funds for his foundation and won 250,000 Pounds.
In addition, he participated in the 2012 Olympic Hunger Summit to introduce hunger as a high-profile global issue.
His foundation helped raise the standard of the Somalian family and built 50 water wells.
They also built three medical clinics for mothers and newborn babies and treated over 10,000 families for free.
Aside from that, in March 2017, he helped launch a campaign for Save the Children.
Later, he became a global ambassador for marathon kids on August 7, 2017.
House, Cars, and Lifestyle
Just above Southwest London, Farah lives a luxurious life in a beautiful house with his wife, Tania Nell, and four children.
Moreover, Farah’s house is said to be worth 1.3 pounds.
The four-time Olympiad winner presently owns an orange Bentley Continental GT.
Sir Mo Farah loves to wear high-quality shoes from expensive brands like Nike, Jordan, etc.
Not to mention, he gets to travel worldwide time and again due to his career, solo or with family.
Mo Farah: Controversies
Farah was accused of receiving a controversial supplement, L-Carnitine, via injection before the 2014 London Marathon.
Furthermore, he kept denying his usage of the supplement L-Carnitine to the United States Anti-Doping Agency.
However, it was later confirmed that Farah did take the supplement when they investigated the doctor who had injected him.
Later on, Farha changed his story and said that he had received the supplement and had forgotten about that.
Farah’s Accusations
Mo Farah’s watch, money, and two phones were stolen when he stayed at the Ethiopian hotel, Addis Abba, for his London marathon training.
Furthermore, Sir Mo Farah accused Ethiopian Legend Haile Gebrselassie of ignoring his requests for help.
Later, Gebrselassie accused Sir Mo Farah of “multiple reports of disgraceful conduct.” He further reported that Farah had not paid the hotel bill despite the 50% discount.
Gebrselassie also claims that Farah attacked a married man and his wife at the gym. Farah was then reported to the police; however, the charges were later dropped.
You might be interested in reading about Japanese judoka Ryuju Nagayama.
Mo Farah: Social Media
Farah is active on various social media but is most active on Instagram and Twitter.
Further, he has over 1.1 million followers on Instagram, where he posts his photos of running, spending time with his family, going to events, etc.
Moreover, on September 16, 2021, he posted a photo with the Bollywood actor Anil Kapoor on his Instagram account.
Likewise, he has over 1.4 million followers on Twitter, where he posts his photos and videos.
Similarly, Sir Mo Farah also has a Facebook page with more than 1.1 million followers.
This British runner also has a youtube channel with over 174k subscribers. He shares his workout plans, running tips, challenges, moments from the Olympics, reaction videos, etc.
Some Interesting Facts about Sir Mo Farah
- Mo Farah is a huge Arsenal fan, and if he weren’t a long-distance runner, he would be playing for Arsenal.
- Farah took part in the twentieth series of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here in November of 2020. However, he was the eighth celebrity to be eliminated in December 2020.
- He also has a twin brother named Hassan, but they were separated for twelve years.
- The Olympic and the half-marathon runner has a victory pose called “Mobot,” inspired but Mo Farah’s victory dance.
- He was invited to the royal wedding of Prince Harry and Megan Markle in 2018.
You might want to read about Hungarian Aerobics Gymnast Daniel Bali: Economics, Aerobics Gymnast, and Net Worth.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Who is faster, Usain Bolt or Mo Farah?
Usain Bolt and Mo Farah are friends but have neck-to-neck competitions.
However, Usain Bolt is the fastest as he has a record of 9 minutes 58 seconds (estimated), whereas Mo Farah has a record of 12 minutes 98 seconds in 100 meters.
Did Mo Farah participate in Tokyo 2021?
No, Mo Farah could not participate in Tokyo 2021 as he failed to complete the 10,000 m by the qualifying time of 19 seconds.
How long does Mo Farah take to run 5k?
Mo Farah takes 13 minutes to run 5k. Moreover, he usually runs 17-18 miles every day except Sunday. On Sunday, he runs for 20 miles.
