Ethiopia’s Misgana Wakuma delivered a historic performance at the World Athletics Race Walking Team Championships in Brasília, winning silver in the men’s half-marathon race walk with a time of 1:27:33—the best result ever achieved by an African man at the global event.

The landmark achievement also secured Ethiopia’s first-ever international race walking medal, marking a major milestone for the country’s athletics program.

According to the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, Wakuma’s podium finish marked the first time an Ethiopian athlete has claimed a medal in an international race walking competition.

Ethiopia recorded additional encouraging results during the championships. In the women’s 10km race, Hiwot Ambaw finished 9th with a personal best time of 48:52, while Abduselam Abdulwahab placed 11th in the men’s 10km, also setting a personal best of 42:21.

These performances highlighted the steady progress of Ethiopia’s emerging race walking athletes on the global stage.

Earlier, the Ethiopian national athletics team had departed for Brasília to compete in the 2026 championships, with the delegation seen off at Bole International Airport. The team included elite athletes and federation officials who expressed strong confidence ahead of the competition.

Ethiopia had fielded a balanced squad of experienced competitors and rising talents, reflecting the country’s growing investment in race walking.

Leading the team was Misgana Wakuma, a standout performer at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where he set a national record of 1:19:31 and finished 6th globally, raising expectations for a strong showing in Brasília.

In the women’s category, youth champion Hiwot Ambaw competed in the 10km race, while Abdulsalam Abdulwahab represented Ethiopia in the men’s 10km following strong performances at youth-level competitions.

The team was technically led by Tesfaye Yifru, while federation officials emphasized Ethiopia’s ambition to deliver strong results during the send-off ceremony.

The Brasília championships marked a historic edition of the event, introducing new half-marathon and marathon race-walk formats for the first time.

More than 40 nations, including several African countries, took part, reflecting the growing global evolution of race walking as athletes competed across longer distances in a team-based format designed to reward endurance and depth.

Wakuma’s silver medal is widely seen as a breakthrough moment for Ethiopia and Africa in race walking, setting a new benchmark and inspiring future athletes to compete at the highest international level.