Athletes

Mo Farah is Britain’s finest male distance runner of his generation.

Born in Somalia, he arrived in London as a refugee from Mogadishu – aged “10 or 11” – with limited English.

Despite struggling at school he enjoyed football and featured as rightback for Feltham Community College, Middlesex. However, PE teacher Alan Watkinson recognised Mo’s running potential and encouraged him to join the local athletics club – although he had to bribe him with 30 minutes of football before taking him to training.

Farah quickly established himself in athletics, racking up five English Schools’ titles as a teenager and making his mark internationally by finishing fifth, aged 16, in the junior race at the 1999 European Cross Country Championships.

Two years later he cemented his position as Europe’s foremost teenaged endurance runner by winning the European Junior 5000m gold medal and a silver medal in the junior race at the European Cross Country Championships.

In 2003 Farah won a 5000m silver medal – behind compatriot and good friend Chris Thompson – at the European Under-23 Championships and posted a new personal best: 13:38.41.

However, he struggled to convert his junior promise and his career stalled because of a number of niggling injuries in 2004-5.

It was at this point that Farah made a decision to change his attitude and approach to the sport. He moved in with a group of Kenyan athletes in Teddington and quickly realised he needed to live, eat and breathe running if he wanted to progress. He also spent time training with Australia’s Craig Mottram, the world 5000m bronze medallist.
Bolstered by this more committed approach, Mo made a huge leap forward in 2006. He climbed to number two on the all-time UK rankings for 5000m – 13:09.40 in Heusden, Belgium – and later that summer claimed a silver medal, just 0.09 behind Spain’s Jesus Espana, in the 5000m at the European Championships. He then capped an outstanding breakthrough year by becoming only the second Brit to win the European Cross Country title.

Mo’s ability to perform on the international stage was maintained in 2007. In March he finished an impressive 10th at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Mombasa and was sixth in the 5000m final at the World Championships.

He has also started 2008 impressively, recording 27:44.54 – the fastest time by a Briton in almost eight years – on his 10,000m debut.

Interview

Q What do you remember about life in Somalia?

A Not a lot. I lived most of my early years in Djibouti. I just remember living in a normal house on a normal street. I have been back to Somalia twice, in 2003 and 2007.

Q How did you adapt to life in Britain?

A It was quite difficult because I didn’t know the language. But you pick things up quite quickly when you’re young. English was not by favourite subject, but I enjoyed maths, technology and PE.

Q What attracted you to athletics and how did you become involved?

A Mr Watkinson, my PE teacher, thought I had some potential and took me down to the local running club. I went a couple of times and really enjoyed it. Football was my first love, though.

Q What is your favourite football team?

A Arsenal. I get there from time to time. My favourite player is Cesc Fabregas.

Q When did you first realise you were good at running?

A I went training in Florida when I was about 15. I went with Nicola Sanders, Mark Lewis-Francis and Tim Benjamin. I remember getting back from the trip and I really wanted to be around other athletes. Some people even said they noticed a change in me.

Q Did you have any athletics heroes when you were young?

A MF: [British 400m runner] Jamie Baulch. I was always bleaching my hair like his. He was always a top bloke.

Q You are a devout Muslim. How difficult is it to fit your training around Ramadan?

A The month of Ramadan changes every year; it’s in September this year. I’ll often observe my month of Ramadan during my break.

Q What do you think about when you’re on a long training run?

A I think about something different every time. It might be how I could have improved in my last race, or I just try to focus on my technique. I really enjoy running around Richmond Park [in West London]. All the people there are really nice.

Q What other interests do you have outside athletics?

A I really like music. I listen to my iPod a lot – everything from U2 to soul to a bit of country, RnB and garage.

Q You lived in a house full of Kenyan athletes in Teddington a couple of years ago. What did you learn during that experience?

A I made some big changes in 2006 after living with them. Just watching them train, eat, rest and focus on their training… Before that I used to train hard but maybe go out with my mate to the cinema and not eat, sleep and train as I should. All those Kenyans were so easy-going and humble.

Q What have been your career highlights?

A Winning silver in the European Championship 5000m and then a few months later winning the European Cross Country title.

Q What is the furthest distance you run in training?

A Twenty miles. But only because we got lost after I took the group the wrong way at Wimbledon Common.