What Mo Farah eats in a day
Here's how one of the most successful runners in the world fuels his workouts
Mo Farah is currently preparing for the 2019 Chicago Marathon, where he hopes to defend his title. Farah is one of the most decorated track athletes in history, winning six World Championship gold medals and four Olympic titles on the track.
Farah’s transition to the marathon has been very impressive. He ran his debut in 2014 in London in 2:08:21, and has improved on that result in both of his subsequent marathons. Chicago 2019 will be his fourth marathon and his second in Chicago (his first being the 2018 event, which he won). Sir Mo discussed how he fuels his workouts with us by phone today.
RELATED: Could Mo Farah realistically run both Worlds and Chicago?
Breakfast
Farah says he normally wakes up around 7:00 a.m. and actually gets out of bed around 7:30 a.m. “I put the coffee on and have coffee first thing. For breakfast I usually have two pieces of toast with butter and Nutella. Then I wait around 45 minutes before going on my morning run.”
Farah’s morning run is between 10 and 12 miles [16 to 19 K]. After his run he’ll go to the gym to do some strength and core work.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B1X25sQADd6/
Lunch
“For lunch I usually have a chicken sandwich.” Farah likes to have a big lunch and dinner, because he doesn’t usually snack much throughout the day.
After lunch he has a quick nap before his afternoon run, which is around five miles [8K]. After that run he’ll have a shower ,and then he might have time for one game of PlayStation.
Farah says if he is hungry he’ll have some fruit, like a banana.
Dinner
Dinner is usually salmon or rice with vegetables, but sometimes he’ll have lasagna. Farah says he doesn’t like to experiment too much with food, especially during the season, but before the 2018 Chicago marathon he did have some deep-dish pizza. “It’s like a cheesecake, it was really good. It’s a massive pizza.”
After dinner Farah heads to bed at around 9:30 or 10 p.m. When asked about fasted runs, Farah says he never does them. “I like to have something in my stomach. I feel like I have a bit more energy then–it’s better than not having anything in my body.”
Farah was also asked about Canadian cuisine–in particular, poutine. He says he’s never had the delicacy, but in the off-season he’d be willing to give it a try.
Check out the latest buyer's guide:
