# Zamzam Mohamed Farah (Samsam Maxamed Faarax)

> Zamzam Mohamed Farah (born 1991): Mogadishu 400 m runner, Somalia's flag bearer at the London 2012 Olympics.

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

## Who is she?

Zamzam Mohamed Farah is a Somali athlete from Mogadishu who runs the 400 metres ([Wikipedia, Zamzam Mohamed Farah](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zamzam_Mohamed_Farah)). She was one of only two Somali athletes at the 2012 Summer Olympics, and Somalia's flag bearer (same source). See [sport in Somalia](/en/society/sport-in-somalia/).

## Training in Mogadishu

She was born on 19 March 1991 ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zamzam_Mohamed_Farah)). She has said [Mo Farah](/en/people/mo-farah/) inspired her to run (same source). Her training grounds lacked proper equipment, and she and her teammates trained outdoors on a route they called "the road of death" (same source).

## London 2012

She ran her 400 m heat in 1:20.48, about 30 seconds behind the winner, and was the slowest finisher of the first round ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zamzam_Mohamed_Farah)). She was fasting for Ramadan while she competed (same source). During the Games she received death threats online (same source). Wikipedia says she did not apply for asylum, despite some reports (same source).

She said: "The most important thing is being able to carry the Somali flag with 203 other countries in the Olympics. That in itself is success" (same source). She also said: "Somalia is not dead. It's alive" (same source). See [Samia Yusuf Omar](/en/people/samia-yusuf-omar/), who ran for Somalia in 2008.

## In short

A Mogadishu runner who carried Somalia's flag at the [London](/en/diaspora/london/) 2012 Olympics and ran the 400 metres.

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