Ahmed claims 10,000 meters title at Pan Am Games
July 21, 2015 | Men's Track & Field
MADISON, Wis. -- Former Wisconsin runner Mohammed Ahmed used a strong final lap to win the 10,000 meters for Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games in Toronto on Tuesday night.
Running in front of a home crowd, Ahmed finished in 28 minutes, 49.96 seconds, besting Team USA's Aron Rono, who finished second in 28:50.83.
"It was very tough, as I expected," Ahmed said in a Team Canada release. "To come out on top in front of the home crowd is unbelievable."
Ahmed, Rono and Juan Luis Barrios of Mexico broke away from the pack with 300 meters to go as Rono grabbed the lead. With just under 200 meters to go, Ahmed passed Rono on the outside and sprinted to the finish.
""It was my first time experiencing something like this, being on the podium," Ahmed said. "Now that I have experienced the feeling of being on the podium, I hope to keep experiencing it."
The Pan American Games are the world's third-largest international multi-sport games, as only the Summer Olympics and the Asian Games are larger. The Pan Am Games, which feature athletes from 41 different countries, take place every four years the summer prior to the Summer Olympics.
A seven-time All-American while at Wisconsin, Ahmed holds the Big Ten record in the 10,000 meters at 27:34.64 and is one of four UW athletes to break the 13:30 barrier in the 5000 meters. He won five Big ten individual titles and helped the Badgers win the NCAA cross country title in 2011.
Ahmed, a native of St. Catharines, Ontario, is no stranger to competing on the international stage for Team Canada. He competed in the 10,000 meters at the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 IAAF World Championships and the 2014 Commonwealth Games. On Monday, Athletics Canada announced that Ahmed will race in the 5000 meters at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in August.
