Exclusive | Distance-running legend Mo Farah sends a message to budding Indian athletes: 'Believe in yourself'

Few in the world of athletics have had careers as storied as Mo Farah, widely considered one of the greatest distance runners of all time as well as one of Britain’s greatest athletes across sports. And what makes the 41-year-old an even greater human being and an inspiration to many across the world is the fact that he would go on to win multiple Olympic gold medals and set numerous records in distance running events after overcoming a tragic childhood.

The Somaliland-born athlete¸ after all, had lost his father at an early age, got separated from his mother and was trafficked to the United Kingdom at the age of nine by a woman he had never met, who intended for him to work as a servant in foreign land.

Farah, however, did not let those hurdles define him, and would turn his life around with sheer determination and hard work, starting with his triumph in the 5,000-metre event at the 2001 European Athletics Junior Championships.

He would then go on to win four gold medals at the Olympics, becoming only the second man to complete long-distance doubles (5,000m and 10,000m) in London 2012 and Rio de Janiero 2016. He has also won six gold medals in the World Championships and has also completed long-distance doubles at the European Championships.

After quitting track events in 2017, he would shift his focus to competing in marathons, winning his maiden gold medal in Chicago the following year. And he would continue competing in marathons and half-marathons all over the world until calling it quits in 2023 at the age of 40, making his final appearance in the London Marathon where he finished ninth.

Firstpost caught up with the legendary runner recently, and one of the topics that Farah opened up on was his longevity as an athlete in addition to staying on top of his game for years. When talking about his passion for sport that drove him to compete in events till the age of 40, Farah said that “running will always be in his DNA”.

“Yeah, to stay motivated, you’ve got to stay hungry. And for me, I’ve had an amazing career. To achieve what I have done throughout the years, it’s been incredible. And in myself, I think running will always be in my DNA, but at the age of 40, I decided to retire because I felt like I achieved everything there to be achieved on the track and off the track. And I just wanted to enjoy time with my family and enjoy times that I miss with families and friends,” Farah said.

Farah reveals tweaking training methods later in his career

With the passage of time, however, Farah had to slow down his training methods in order to prolong his career and avoid injuries – which in his mid-to-late thirties could have spelled the end of his legendary career earlier than what he would have hoped for.

“Yeah, as I got older, I had to tweak my training because often, as I said, when you’re young and 28 years old or 30, you can bounce back after training and after a session or a hard run and you can keep on going. But as you get older, your body start to slow down a bit. So it’s important to you that you listen to your body.

Perhaps you could say, you know, in my 30s I could do four sessions a week, but in my 40s I could only do two sessions and things do slow down,” Farah added.

While Farah is best known for his back-to-back Olympic long-distance triumphs, he picks his victory in front of his home crowd in the 2012 London Games as the highlight of his career and the favourite memory from his decorated career.

“The standout moment in my career has to be London 2012, crossing the line in front of 75,000 people cheering for you, Union Jacks everywhere, in that 10,000 metres in the Olympic final,” said Farah, who had become the first Briton to win the 10K event.

‘Mumbai is an amazing city’: Farah

Farah was in India recently for the Tata Mumbai Marathon that took place on 19 January, for which he had been appointed international event ambassador. On his maiden visit to Mumbai, he couldn’t help but notice the “energy and good vibes” of the ‘Maximum City’.

“It’s amazing to be here. My first impression of Mumbai. It’s an amazing city. It’s a city that has a lot of energy and good vibes,” Farah said.

As for his message for budding runners in India and in other parts of the world who dream of having a career like him someday, Farah’s message was simple – to be patient and to enjoy the journey.

“So all the people out there who are in India, who training for it, believe in yourself, keep working hard and you always got more than what you think you have. So at times when things doesn’t go well, just be patient and respect your coach, your positions and most importantly, enjoy the journey,” Farah signed off.