The Most Famous
ATHLETES from Somalia
Top 9
The following people are considered by Pantheon to be the most legendary Somali Athletes of all time. This list of famous Somali Athletes is sorted by HPI (Historical Popularity Index), a metric that aggregates information on a biography’s online popularity.
1. Mo Farah (b. 1983)
With an HPI of 43.86, Mo Farah is the most famous Somali Athlete. His biography has been translated into 51 different languages on wikipedia.
Sir Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah (born Hussein Abdi Kahin; 23 March 1983) is a Somali-British former long-distance runner. Considered one of the greatest runners of all time, his ten global championship gold medals (four Olympic and six World titles) make him the most successful male track distance runner in the history of the sport, and he is the most successful British track athlete in modern Olympic Games history. Farah is the 2012 and 2016 Olympic gold medallist in both the 5,000 m and 10,000 m. He is the second athlete, after Lasse Virén, to win both the 5,000 m and 10,000 m titles at successive Olympic Games. He also completed the 'distance double' at the 2013 and 2015 World Championships in Athletics. He was the first man to defend both distance titles in both major global competitions; a feat described as the 'quadruple-double'. After finishing second in the 10,000 metres at the 2011 World Championships, Farah had an unbroken streak of ten global final wins (the 5,000m in 2011, the double in 2012, 2013, 2015 and 2016, and the 10,000m in 2017). The streak ended in Farah's final championship track race, when he finished second to Ethiopia's Muktar Edris in the 2017 5,000 metres final. On the track, Farah mostly competed over 5,000 metres and 10,000 metres, but has run competitively from 1,500 metres to the marathon. In 2017, he indicated his intention to switch wholly to road racing following victory at his final track race, the 2017 IAAF Diamond League 5,000 metres final. He won the 2018 Chicago Marathon in a time of 2:05:11, a European record. His running style has been described as bouncy and tactical, which he has attempted to alter for a more efficient and energy-saving stride pattern, especially in the longer distances. Farah runs distance races tactically, a style which is aided by his especially quick sprint finish. His tactics were described in Athletics Weekly: "(Farah) could run 24 strong laps of the track, which most of his East African rivals could match, before a blistering 400 metre sprint to the line, which none of them could." Born in present-day Somaliland, the then Hussein Abdi Kahin was trafficked from Djibouti to London under the name of another child, Mohamed Farah, at the age of nine where he was forced into child labour. He adopted the name as his own thereafter, becoming a British citizen. He ran for Newham and Essex Beagles athletics club, training at St Mary's University College, Twickenham from 2001 to 2011. He did not reveal that he was a victim of trafficking until 2022. Farah is the current world record holder for the one hour run (21,330 m), the current European record holder for the outdoor 3,000m (7:32.62) and 10,000 m (26:46.57), and the current British record holder for the 5,000 m (12:53.11). He formerly held the world best for the short track two miles at 8:03.40 (broken by Josh Kerr in 2024 with an 8:00.67 clocking), and also formerly held the European best in the outdoor two mile (8:07.85), until Jakob Ingebrigtsen broke it in 2023 with a new world best of 7:54.10. Farah was also the former British short track record holder for the 3,000 m, at 7:33.1+ (broken by Sam Atkin in 2023 with 7:31.97). Farah was the first British athlete to win two gold medals at the same world championships. His five gold medals at the European Athletics Championships made him the most successful male athlete in individual events in the championships' history. He has won the European Athlete of the Year award and the British Athletics Writers Association British Athlete of the Year award more than any other athlete, three times and six times respectively. In 2017, Farah won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year. Farah was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2013 and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in the 2017 New Year Honours for services to athletics.
2. Abdi Bile (b. 1962)
With an HPI of 36.99, Abdi Bile is the 2nd most famous Somali Athlete. His biography has been translated into 25 different languages.
Abdi Bile (Somali: Cabdi Bile Cabdi, Arabic: عبد بلي عبد; born 28 December 1962) is a former middle distance runner. He holds the highest number of national records in athletics in Somalia across various disciplines. He is currently Somalia's national record holder in nine athletic disciplines, and is thus far Somalia's most decorated athlete in history. In 1987, he became world champion in the 1500 metres, the first Somali to do so. Bile ran the final 800m of the race in 1:46.0, which as of the 2020s, remains the fastest latter half in the history of the 1500m track race. During the semi-finals of the same championships, on 4 September 1987, he set a championship record with a time of 3:35.67 which lasted until 1 September 1991, when broken by Noureddine Morceli. He defeated Britain's Sebastian Coe at the 1500m to win gold at the 1989 World Continental Cup. He also won silver at the same event in the 1985 African Championships in Cairo. In 1996 he represented Somalia at the 1996 Summer Olympics for the 1500 meters. His brother, Jama Bile, ran competitively for Northern Arizona University. His son Ahmed Bile ran competitively for Georgetown University.
3. Samia Yusuf Omar (1991 - 2012)
With an HPI of 32.88, Samia Yusuf Omar is the 3rd most famous Somali Athlete. Her biography has been translated into 22 different languages.
Samia Yusuf Omar or Samiyo Omar (Somali: Saamiya Yuusuf Cumar; Arabic: سامية يوسف عمر; 25 March 1991 – April 2012) was a sprinter from Somalia. She was one of two Somali athletes who competed for their nation at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Omar had grown up in Mogadishu, and trained there during the Somali Civil War despite receiving harassment from local militia groups. Her story at the Olympics was covered by the media, and her performance was well received by the crowd. Following the Games, she hid away from athletics following threats by militant group Al-Shabaab. She ended up in a Hizbul-Islam displacement camp, and in pursuit of competing at the 2012 Summer Olympics, she crossed the border to Ethiopia looking for a safe place to train. She was trafficked north into Libya, where she was imprisoned. During the 2012 Games, it was revealed that Omar had drowned off the coast of Libya while attempting to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Italy.
4. Mohamed Suleiman (b. 1969)
With an HPI of 32.47, Mohamed Suleiman is the 4th most famous Somali Athlete. His biography has been translated into 17 different languages.
Mohammad Ahmed Suleiman (Arabic: محمد أحمد سليمان; born 23 November 1969) is a Qatari middle-distance runner that won Qatar its first Olympic medal ever.
5. Abdi Nageeye (b. 1989)
With an HPI of 28.92, Abdi Nageeye is the 5th most famous Somali Athlete. His biography has been translated into 16 different languages.
Abdi Nageeye (born 2 March 1989) is a Somali-Dutch long-distance runner from the Netherlands. He won the silver medal in the marathon at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Nageeye placed third at the 2022 New York City Marathon and won the 2024 New York City Marathon. He is the Dutch national record holder for the 10 km road race, half marathon and marathon.
6. Mohammed Ahmed (b. 1991)
With an HPI of 22.83, Mohammed Ahmed is the 6th most famous Somali Athlete. His biography has been translated into 20 different languages.
Mohammed Ahmed (born January 5, 1991) is a Canadian long-distance runner. A three-time Olympian, he is his country's most successful athlete in long distance racing, being the first to medal in the 5000 metres at both the World Championships (bronze in 2019) and the Olympic Games (silver in 2021). As well he is a two-time silver medallist at the Commonwealth Games in the 5000m and 10,000m events and was the 2015 Pan American champion in the 10,000 m. He holds the eleventh-fastest 5000m time in history and has set several national and area records.
7. Abdi Hakin Ulad (b. 1991)
With an HPI of 0.00, Abdi Hakin Ulad is the 7th most famous Somali Athlete. His biography has been translated into different languages.
Abdi-Hakin Achkel Ulad (born 14 June 1991 in Kismayo Town, Somalia) is a Danish track and field athlete competing in long-distance running (5,000 metres, 10,000 metres, half marathons and marathons). Ulad represented Denmark at the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2020 Summer Olympics. As of 2022, he is currently suspended following a failed drug test.
8. Shirley McCay (b. 1988)
With an HPI of 0.00, Shirley McCay is the 8th most famous Somali Athlete. Her biography has been translated into different languages.
Shirley McCay (born 7 June 1988) is an Ireland women's field hockey international. She was a member of the Ireland team that played in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup final. McCay has played in the Women's Irish Hockey League for Old Alex, Ulster Elks and Pegasus. She was a member of the Ulster Elks team that won two successive Irish Senior Cup titles in 2014–15 and 2015–16. Since 2015 she has been Ireland's most capped women's field hockey international. According to some sources she is also "Ireland's most capped sportswoman in any code" and the holder of "the most international caps by any Irish athlete (male or female) across any sport".
9. Hassan Mead (b. 1989)
With an HPI of 0.00, Hassan Mead is the 9th most famous Somali Athlete. His biography has been translated into different languages.
Hassan Mead (Somali: Xassan Miicaad, Arabic: حسن ميد; born June 28, 1989) is a Somali-American long-distance runner. He was a cross country and track athlete for the University of Minnesota. An eight-time All-American in his Minnesota career, four in cross country (2007, 2008, 2009, 2011) and five in track (2008 outdoor, 2009 indoor and outdoor, 2012 indoor and outdoor). Mead is a nine-time Big Ten Conference champion, winning two in cross country in 2008 and 2009, and seven in track, where he swept all distance events in the 2009 indoor and outdoor seasons. Mead is currently running with the Oregon Track Club in Eugene, Oregon. Prior to his time at the University of Minnesota, Hassan is a 2007 graduate of Minneapolis South High School.
People
Pantheon has 9 people classified as Somali athletes born between 1962 and 1991. Of these 9, 8 (88.89%) of them are still alive today. The most famous living Somali athletes include Mo Farah, Abdi Bile, and Mohamed Suleiman. The most famous deceased Somali athletes include Samia Yusuf Omar. As of April 2024, 4 new Somali athletes have been added to Pantheon including Abdi Nageeye, Abdi Hakin Ulad, and Shirley McCay.
Living Somali Athletes
Go to all Rankings
Mo Farah
1983 - Present
HPI: 43.86
Abdi Bile
1962 - Present
HPI: 36.99
Mohamed Suleiman
1969 - Present
HPI: 32.47
Abdi Nageeye
1989 - Present
HPI: 28.92
Mohammed Ahmed
1991 - Present
HPI: 22.83
Abdi Hakin Ulad
1991 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Shirley McCay
1988 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Hassan Mead
1989 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Deceased Somali Athletes
Go to all RankingsNewly Added Somali Athletes (2024)
Go to all RankingsAbdi Nageeye
1989 - Present
HPI: 28.92
Abdi Hakin Ulad
1991 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Shirley McCay
1988 - Present
HPI: 0.00
Hassan Mead
1989 - Present
HPI: 0.00
