How Ethiopia’s Wakuma raced walked his way into the history books in Brasília

Misgana Wakuma at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Antalya in 2024 (© World Athletics Sergio Mateo Maria)

But the biggest eye catcher until Brasília was an outstanding sixth place in the Paris Olympic Games 20km race walk that same year.

Wakuma remained with the leaders until 18km in Paris, before the eventual top four moved away. He still finished in 1:19:31 – then a national record – while winning the admiration of the athletics world.

He says he was inspired by the efforts of Yehualeye Beletew, the 2018 African champion who set an Ethiopian 20km race walk record of 1:31:32 in 2021 and won silver at the African Championships in 2022 where Wakuma placed fourth, but he insists training at altitude, self-belief and a healthy diet are key ingredients to his success.

“I used to follow Yehualeye, who really came before me, and I could see she was making progress,” he said.

“But because of my results, because of my progress, I thought I could start to challenge for big medals.”

That diet of meat, eggs, milk and traditional Ethiopian food: "... that works for me, also includes injera – in fact, it’s my daily food,” Wakuma added.

Injera is a sour fermented pancake-like flatbread with a slightly spongy texture, traditionally made of teff flour. In Ethiopia and Eritrea, injera is a staple. Wakuma’s daily bread comes with punishing daily workouts in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, 2355 metres above sea level, where he lives.

He is one of a family of 11, and none of the other 10 have an interest in athletics.

“They like football or don’t play sport at all,” he said. “I’m the only athlete.”

If not training, he’s relaxing and “having fun” as much as any top athlete can, and when asked to nominate his favourite race walkers, the list has few surprises.

Olympic gold medallists Álvaro Martín, María Pérez and Massimo Stano, along with world champion Caio Bonfim who finished behind Wakuma in Brasília, and Francesco Fortunato who finished ahead to win the inaugural half marathon at the World Race Walking Team Championships, all get the Wakuma approval.

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