Zak Mahamed

Zakariya Mahamed
Personal information
NationalityBritish
Born (2000-11-29) 29 November 2000
Ethiopia
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)
Cross country, Long distance running
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)5000m: 13:24.83 (Huelva, 2024)
10,000m: 27:46.55 (London, 2023)
10k: 27.46 (Valencia, 2026)
Half Marathon: 1:00:46 (Barcelona, 2026)
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Great Britain
European Cross Country Championships
2022 Turin U23 race
2022 Turin U23 team
2019 Lisbon U23 Team
2024 Antalya Team race

Zak Mahamed (born 29 November 2000) is a British long distance and cross country runner.[1]

Early and personal life

Mahamed emigrated from Ethiopia to Southampton in England with his family in 2011. He runs for Southampton Athletics Club and studied at Southampton Solent University. His brother Mahamed Mahamed is also an international runner.[2][3][4]

Career

Mahamed won gold as part of the British U23 team at the 2019 European Cross Country Championships in Lisbon.[5] Mahamed was selected to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the 2021 European Cross Country Championships in Fingal-Dublin, Ireland.[6] The following year, Mahamed won silver at the European Cross Country U23 race in Turin, Italy.[7][8]

In 2023, he set new personal best times over 5000m (13:47.43), 10,000m (27:56.70), 5 km (13:57), 10 km (28:24), 10 miles (46:41) and the half marathon (63:32).[9] He set a new 10,000 metres personal best of 27:46.55 in London in May 2024.[10] That month, he was selected to run the 10,000 metres for Britain at the 2024 European Athletics Championships in Rome.[11] He was selected for the British team for the 2024 European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Turkey.[12]

In February 2025, he set a new personal best of 61:43 at the Barcelona half marathon.[13] In September 2025, after a couple of months without racing, he won the London 10k Road Road for the first time in his career, running a time of 29:07.[14] On 8 November, he placed fourth in the men's 9.6km race at the Cardiff Cross Challenge in Wales, a gold race part of the World Athletics Cross Country Tour, finishing behind Kenyans Mathew Kipsang, Victor Kimosop and Stephen Kimutai.[15][16] Competing in Valencia on 11 January 2026, he ran 27:46 for the 10km.[17] Mahamed ran a personal best 60:46 for the half marathon in Barcelona in February 2026.[18]

References

  1. ^ "Zak Mahamed". World Athletics. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  2. ^ Williams, Adam (4 October 2018). "Mahamed Mahamed: Mo Farah-inspired distance runner looking to emulate idol". BBC Sport.
  3. ^ Moss, Emily (March 5, 2016). "Sibling success for Mahamed and Zakariya Mahamed". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  4. ^ "SOLENT STUDENT SET TO COMPETE IN THE 2021 EURO CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS". Solent.ac.uk. 9 December 2021. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  5. ^ Crumley, Euan (December 8, 2019). "Five is the magic number at European Cross". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
  6. ^ Puri, Shivalika (17 December 2021). "Southampton Student Competes in the Euro Cross Country Championships". Daily Echo. Retrieved 3 December 2023.
  7. ^ "GB's Cairess claims European cross country silver". BBC Sport. 2022-12-11. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  8. ^ Turnbull, Simon (2022-12-11). "Report | Battocletti and Hicks reign again in the U23 races in La Mandria Park". European Athletics. Retrieved 2022-12-11.
  9. ^ Barden, Katy (December 8, 2023). "How they train: Zak Mahamed". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  10. ^ Henderson, Jason (May 19, 2024). "Megan Keith seals Olympic selection in Night of the 10,000m PBs thriller". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 19 May 2024.
  11. ^ "KATARINA JOHNSON-THOMPSON NAMED IN STRONG GB & NI TEAM FOR EUROPEANS ROME 2024". British Athletics. 28 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  12. ^ "GB & NI TEAM ANNOUNCED FOR EUROPEAN CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ANTALYA". British Athletics. 26 November 2024. Retrieved 26 November 2024.
  13. ^ Rhodes, James (18 Feb 2025). "Weekend of Records – Weekend Round Up". Fast Running. Retrieved 24 Feb 2025.
  14. ^ Henderson, Jason (28 Sep 2025). "EILISH MCCOLGAN IN RECORD-EQUALLING THIRD VITALITY LONDON 10,000 WIN". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 29 Sep 2025.
  15. ^ "Kipsang and Chepkirui secure Kenyan double in Cardiff". World Athletics. 8 November 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  16. ^ Henderson, Jason (8 November 2025). "TEENAGER CHEPKIRUI SHINES AT CARDIFF CROSS CHALLENGE". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 9 November 2025.
  17. ^ Henderson, Jason (11 Jan 2026). "EILISH MCCOLGAN STORMS TO EUROPEAN 10KM RECORD IN VALENCIA". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 11 Jan 2026.
  18. ^ "WORLD LEADS FOR HAGOS GEBRHIWET AND LOICE CHEMNUNG IN BARCELONA". Athletics Weekly. 15 Feb 2026. Retrieved 17 Feb 2026.
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