Sir Mo Farah highlights sports-tech synergy at Web Summit Qatar

Doha: British athletics legend Sir Mo Farah, now a resident of Qatar, took centre stage for the closing session at Web Summit Qatar 2026 to discuss hi...

Doha: British athletics legend Sir Mo Farah, now a resident of Qatar, took centre stage for the closing session at Web Summit Qatar 2026 to discuss his transition from Olympic champion to entrepreneur, emphasising the powerful intersection of sports and business innovation.

In an engaging discussion session with Al Jazeera’s Samantha Johnson, Farah praised the event as a vital platform for blending athletic discipline with technological advancement, particularly in promoting wellness and fitness in the region.

Farah, who has called Doha home for a year, expressed enthusiasm for Qatar’s growing role as a global hub for sports and technology. “It’s nice to be here in Doha, Qatar,” he said, noting how the city’s facilities and safety impressed his family during the 2022 World Cup, prompting their move.

He highlighted the “huge running community” in Doha, aligning it with Web Summit’s focus on innovation. Farah views the summit as an ideal venue to advocate for physical activity amid technological distractions, stating, “Particularly with the younger generation now, it’s so hard with AI technology. So more kids just want to be on their phones.”

Central to Farah’s message was the nexus between sports and entrepreneurship. Retiring after a storied career with four Olympic golds and weekly 120-mile training regimens, he described his pivot as a natural extension of athletic principles. “I’ve always had a goal,” he explained, “and in life, if you don’t have a goal, it’s hard to be motivated.” This discipline now fuels his ventures, including the AI-powered YouRun app, which draws from his championship experience to provide personalised training programmes. “The running app is really what I’ve learned along my career, what it takes to be a champion,” Farah said.