You do not often hear about Muslims in the UK participating in distance running at the highest levels of athletics. The most popular sports are usually, football, cricket or martial arts.

Ears will perk and eyebrows will be raised to attention when you hear of one Britains up and coming distance runner athletes who will rival the talents of past champions and compete in world athletics just happens to be a Muslim.

The Norwich Grand Prix begins in February and UK Athletics’ rising star Mo Farah says he is very well prepared and feeling confident about his chances. The twenty-three year old British Muslim was speaking after a very successful year in athletics. Somali-born distance runner Mo Farah has been on stunning form in recent months, wining a Track Silver Medal at the European Championships in Gothenburg and a Gold at the European Cross Country Championships. Mo says he is motivated and encouraged by Marathon runner Paula Radcliffe. My main inspiration…is Paula Radcliffe. Over the years she has supported me, and as a junior I have been in the same team as her. Now finally, I am sort of breaking through and coming through as a Senior and winning medals as a Senior and it is amazing, having her behind me all the way.”

The national governing body for the sport, UK Athletics, is doing all it can to support the young British talent. Andrew Wallace of UK Athletics said “There are two things that are exciting about Mo, I think the first is that it has been a long time since Britain has had a good endurance male athlete. Obviously, we have had Paula Radcliffe and Kelly Holmes among the women, but it’s good to have a guy out there doing that as well and secondly I think Mo has a great personality, I mean he’s bubbly, he’s effervescent and I think that’s very important in terms of selling the sport as well.”

Having fled war-torn Somalia for the UK, Mo says the best thing about what he does is being able to run for Britain. “What I most enjoy about what I am doing here is the training, it’s what I do, just wake up in the morning, go for a run and then racing against other countries is – well, most people dream of doing that and running for your country and doing that is unbelievable!” Mo Farah has big plans for the future — he aims to secure a place at the European Indoor Championships with victory at the Norwich Union Trials in Sheffield which will take place on the 10th and 11th of February.

Photos courtesy of PACE Sports Management