Mohammed Ahmed (runner) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Mohammed Ahmed

Ahmed at the 2016 Summer Olympics
Personal information
Nickname(s)	Mospeed
Nationality	Canadian
Born	(1991-01-05) January 5, 1991 (age 34) Mogadishu, Somalia
Height	182 cm
Weight	54 kg
Sport
Country	Canada
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Long-distance running
College team	University of Wisconsin–Madison
Club	Bowerman Track Club
Coached by	Jerry Schumacher
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	Outdoor 1500 m: 3:34.89 (Portland 2020) Mile: 3:53.87 (Eugene 2021) 3000 m: 7:31.96 NR (Chorzów 2024) 2-Mile: 8:15.76 NR (Palo Alto 2019) 5000 m: 12:47.20 AR (Portland 2020) 10,000 m: 26:34.14 NR (San Juan Capistrano 2022) Indoor 3000 m: 7:40.11 i (New York 2016) 2-Mile: 8:13.16 i NR (New York 2017) 5000 m: 12:56.87 i NR (Boston 2022)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  Canada Olympic Games Silver 2020 Tokyo 5000 m World Championships Bronze 2019 Doha 5000 m Commonwealth Games Silver 2018 Gold Coast 5,000 m Silver 2018 Gold Coast 10,000 m Pan American Games Gold 2015 Toronto 10,000 m Representing Americas Continental Cup Silver 2018 Ostrava 3,000 m

Mohammed Ahmed (born January 5, 1991) is a Canadian long-distance runner. He has competed in four Olympic Games. He is Canada's most successful long-distance runner. He was the first Canadian to win a medal in the 5000 metres race at both the World Athletics Championships (a bronze in 2019) and the Olympic Games (a silver in 2021).

He also won two silver medals at the Commonwealth Games in the 5000m and 10,000m races. In 2015, he was the Pan American champion in the 10,000m. Mohammed Ahmed holds one of the fastest 5000m times ever. He has also set several Canadian and North American records.

Early Life and Starting Running

Mohammed Ahmed was born in Mogadishu, Somalia. He grew up in a town called El Afweyn in Somaliland. When he was 11 years old, his family moved to St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada.

He started running track when he was 13. He saw his brothers running at school and decided to try it too.

Mohammed Ahmed's Running Journey

Youth Running Achievements

Before going to college, Mohammed Ahmed was a top junior runner in Canada. He won the Canadian junior 5000m race four times. He also finished in the top ten at the World Junior Championships twice. He won a gold medal at the Pan American Junior Games.

College Running Career

Ahmed went to St. Catharines Collegiate and then to the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He graduated from college in 2014. During his time there, he earned many awards for his running. He also got a spot to compete in the 10,000m race at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He finished 18th in that race.

At the 2013 World Championships in Moscow, Mohammed ran the fastest 10,000m race ever by a Canadian at that time. He finished ninth. In 2014, he competed for Canada at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. He finished fifth in the 5000m and sixth in the 10,000m.

Professional Running Highlights

Ahmed winning gold at the 2015 Pan American Games.

After college, Ahmed became a professional runner. In 2015, he competed at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto, Canada. He won the gold medal in the 10,000m race. Later that year, he finished 12th in the 5000m race at the 2015 World Championships.

In May 2016, Ahmed set a new Canadian record in the 5000m race. He competed in his second Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. He finished 32nd in the 10,000m. However, he then placed fourth in the 5000m race, missing a bronze medal by only 1.5 seconds. He later said this made him feel very sad.

In 2017, Ahmed set another Canadian record in the indoor 5000m race. On August 4, 2017, he set a new Canadian record in the 10,000m at the 2017 World Championships. He finished eighth. In 2018, he won two silver medals at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in both the 5000m and 10,000m races.

At the 2019 World Athletics Championships, Ahmed won a bronze medal in the 5000m event. This was the first time a Canadian runner had won a medal in this race at the World Championships. He also finished sixth in the 10,000m at the same championships.

Even though many events were cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ahmed set a new Canadian record in the men's 5000m race on July 10, 2020.

Ahmed (left) at the 2022 World Athletics Championships

Ahmed was part of his third Olympic team in 2021. He first competed in the 10,000m event in Tokyo. He finished sixth, running his best time of the season. He then competed in the 5000m event, where he had finished fourth five years earlier in Rio. He started the final lap in sixth place but then pushed forward. He moved into second place by the last 100 metres and won the silver medal! He was the first Canadian to win an Olympic medal in this race. He said that all his past races, even the tough ones, helped him get to this moment.

At the 2022 World Athletics Championships, Ahmed finished sixth in the 10,000m race. He said he was still trying to figure out the 10K race. He then finished fifth in the 5000m, very close to a bronze medal. He noted how strong the other runners were in the event.

At the 2023 World Athletics Championships, Ahmed finished sixth in the 10,000m and seventh in the 5000m. In the 2024 Paris Olympics, he finished fourth in the 10,000m race.

Competition Results

Representing  Canada

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Notes
2012	Olympic Games	London, United Kingdom	18th	10,000 m	28:13.91
2013	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	9th	10,000 m	27:35.76
2014	Commonwealth Games	Glasgow, United Kingdom	5th	5,000 m	13:18.88
			6th	10,000 m	28:02.96
2015	Pan American Games	Toronto, Canada	1st	10,000 m	28:49.96
	World Championships	Beijing, China	12th	5,000 m	14:00.38
2016	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	4th	5,000 m	13:05.94
			32nd	10,000 m	29:32.84
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	6th	5,000 m	13:39.15
			8th	10,000 m	27:02.35
2018	Commonwealth Games	Gold Coast, Australia	2nd	5,000 m	13:52.78
			2nd	10,000 m	27:20.56
	Continental Cup	Ostrava, Czech Republic	2nd	3,000 m	7:57.99
2019	World Championships	Doha, Qatar	3rd	5,000 m	13:01.11
			6th	10,000 m	26:59.35
2021	Olympic Games	Tokyo, Japan	2nd	5,000 m	12:58.61
			6th	10,000 m	27:47.76
2022	World Championships	Eugene, United States	5th	5,000 m	13:10.46
			6th	10,000 m	27:30.27
2023	World Championships	Budapest, Hungary	7th	5,000 m	13:12.92
			6th	10,000 m	27:56.43
2024	Olympic Games	Paris, France	16th (sf)	5,000 m	14:15.76
			4th	10,000 m	26:44.79

See also

In Spanish: Mohammed Ahmed (atleta) para niños