Sport scholar represents GB at championships

Taking place Friday 7 to Wednesday 12 June, the European Athletics Championships gather the very best athletes from the continent for a tournament of the highest level. Athletic greats have been made at past championships, and Zakariya Mahamed, a sport scholar at Solent, is certainly on his way to greatness.

Zak established his status as an athlete to watch when he won the 2023 Great South Run in the rapid time of 00:46:41. Becoming the fastest person to run the 10 miles in 26 years. Now, the BSc (Hons) Sport Management student is on his way to Rome to compete on the world stage.

Zak is one of three male athletes chosen to compete in the 10000m race, and part of a 70-strong team representing Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Zak says:

“I’m really proud to be going to the European Athletics Championships this weekend to represent the country. This is a great step forward in my sporting career, which has been supported by Solent University, and their dedicated team who have helped me to continue progressing as a professional athlete.”

Zak is part of a talented sporting family, with his brother, Mahamed Mahamed, heading to Paris this summer for the 2024 Olympics after coming fourth in the London Marathon. Both have been supported by Solent, where they have thrived academically and in their sporting endeavours.

Jon Cooper, Lecturer in Sport Coaching and Head Coach Solent Athletics Club at Solent, says:

“We are so proud of what Zak has achieved so far and we can’t wait to support him during the European Championships in Rome. Zak has been supported by Solent through the Sport Scholarship programme, Solent Athletics club and by a number of academics across the Department of Sport and Health.

“Supporting Zak representing the University at BUCS Athletics Nationals Championships has been a pleasure and looking forward to see what he can go on to achieve wearing a GB vest.”

Find out more about performance sport at Solent here.