# Mohammed Ahmed (Maxamed Axmed, runner)

> Mohammed Ahmed (born 1991): Somali-born Canadian runner, Olympic 5000 m silver medallist in 2021 and world bronze medallist in 2019.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/mohammed-ahmed/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who is he?

Mohammed Ahmed is a Canadian long-distance runner and a four-time Olympian ([Wikipedia, Mohammed Ahmed (runner)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Ahmed_(runner))). Wikipedia calls him his country's most successful athlete in long-distance racing (same source). See [sport in Somalia](/en/society/sport-in-somalia/).

## Early life

He was born in Mogadishu on 5 January 1991 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Ahmed_(runner))). He was raised in [Ceel Afweyn](/en/regions/ceel-afweyn/), a town in [Somaliland](/en/states/somaliland-1991-to-2026/) (same source). Somaliland declared independence in 1991; Israel recognised it on 26 December 2025, and most states and the African Union regard it as part of Somalia. His family then moved to Kenya, and to St. Catharines, Ontario, when he was 11 (same source). He began running at 13 after watching his brothers run at school (same source). See [Somalis in Canada](/en/diaspora/canada/).

## Youth and college

He won the Canadian junior 5000 m title four times and a Pan American junior title ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Ahmed_(runner))). He studied at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, graduating in 2014, and earned eleven NCAA All-American awards (same source). He ran the 10,000 m at the [London](/en/diaspora/london/) Olympics in 2012 and finished eighteenth (same source).

## Medals

- **2015:** gold in the 10,000 m at the Pan American Games in [Toronto](/en/diaspora/toronto/) ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Ahmed_(runner))).
- **2016:** fourth in the 5000 m at the Rio Olympics, 1.5 seconds from bronze (same source).
- **2018:** two silver medals at the Commonwealth Games, in the 5000 m and 10,000 m (same source).
- **2019:** bronze in the 5000 m at the World Championships in Doha, the first for a Canadian (same source).
- **2021:** silver in the 5000 m at the Tokyo Olympics, the first Canadian Olympic medal at that distance (same source).
- **2024:** fourth in the 10,000 m at the Paris Olympics (same source).

## Records

On 10 July 2020 he ran 12:47.20 for the 5000 m in [Portland](/en/diaspora/lewiston-portland-maine/), a Canadian record ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammed_Ahmed_(runner))). Wikipedia lists this as the eleventh-fastest 5000 m in history (same source). He also set Canadian records in the 10,000 m, including 27:02.35 at the 2017 World Championships (same source). In 2018 he was nominated for Sports Person of the Year at the International Somali Awards (same source).

## In short

A Somali-born Canadian runner who won Olympic silver in the 5000 m in 2021 and world bronze in 2019.

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