Hunegnaw Mesfin (born 31 January 1989) is an Ethiopian professional

long-distance runner Long-distance running, or endurance running, is a form of continuous running over distances of at least . Physiologically, it is largely Aerobic exercise, aerobic in nature and requires stamina as well as mental strength. Within endurance ru ...

who competes in cross country and

track running Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes Competition#Sports, athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a ru ...

events. He has represented his country at the

IAAF World Cross Country Championships World Athletics Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Formerly held annually and organised by World Athletics (formerly the IAAF), it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the In ...

and won medals in the senior and junior team categories. Mesfin won his first major medal at the 2007 African Junior Championships in Athletics, taking the

10,000 metres The 10,000 metres or the 10,000-metre run is a common long-distance track running event. The event is part of the athletics programme at the Olympic Games and the World Athletics Championships, and is common at championship-level events. The ...

silver medal A silver medal, in sports and other similar areas involving competition, is a medal made of, or plated with, silver awarded to the second-place finisher, or runner-up, of contests or competitions such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, ...

behind Kenya's Mathew Kisorio. His first year of global competition came in 2008. He was eleventh in the junior race at the

2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 2008 IAAF World Cross Country Championships took place on March 30, 2008. The races were held at the Holyrood Park in Edinburgh, United Kingdom. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All race ...

– a performance which helped Ethiopia to the team silver medals. He just missed out on a medal at the

2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics The 2008 World Junior Championships in Athletics is the 2008 version of the World Junior Championships in Athletics. It was held in Bydgoszcz in Poland at the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium between 8 and 13 July 2008. Previously Bydgoszcz hosted ...

, finishing fourth behind fellow Ethiopian

Ibrahim Jeilan Ibrahim Jeilan Gashu (Amharic: ዒብራሂም ጅእላን ጋሹ; born 12 June 1989) is an Ethiopian professional long-distance runner who specialises in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres on the track, as well as cross country running. He is ...

.Mesfin Hungenaw

IAAF World Athletics, formerly known as the International Amateur Athletic Federation and International Association of Athletics Federations and formerly abbreviated as the IAAF, is the international sports governing body, governing body for the sport ...

. Retrieved on 2011-02-21. He competed for Ethiopia at the

International Chiba Ekiden The International Chiba Ekiden was an annual team road running competition held in Chiba, Japan in late November. The marathon relay race, or ekiden as it is known in Japan, is one of the prominent annual races of its kind. The competition is s ...

and won his race stage, helping the national team to the title. He ended the year with a third-place finish at the inaugural Bahir Dar Cross Country. Mesfin started 2009 with a win at the Sululta Cross Country in the junior section. He competed as a senior at the

2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 2009 IAAF World Cross Country Championships took place on March 28, 2009. The races were held at the Al Bisharat Golf Course in Amman, Jordan. Four races took place, one for men, women, junior men and junior women respectively. All races ...

, however, and his tenth-place performance brought the Ethiopian men second place in the team rankings. He began to compete on the senior European cross country circuit at the end of that year and took a significant victory at the Cross Internacional Zornotza in January 2010, coming out on top of a

photo finish A photo finish occurs in a sporting race when multiple competitors cross the finishing line at nearly the same time. As the naked eye may not be able to determine which of the competitors crossed the line first, a photo or video taken at the fini ...

with Gebre Gebremariam, the reigning world champion. He celebrated his 21st birthday with a second high-profile victory, this time at the Cinque Mulini. In spite of these performances, he failed to match his placing of the previous year at the

2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 2010 IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held at Myślęcinek Park in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 28 March 2010. It was the first time in over twenty years that Poland hosted the annual championships, having previously held them in Warsaw in ...

, where he ended the race in the nineteenth place as Ethiopia took the bronze behind

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

and

Eritrea Eritrea, officially the State of Eritrea, is a country in the Horn of Africa region of East Africa, with its capital and largest city being Asmara. It is bordered by Ethiopia in the Eritrea–Ethiopia border, south, Sudan in the west, and Dj ...

. He gave a strong performance at the Jan Meda Cross Country in February 2011, surprising the more established

Imane Merga Imane Merga Jida (ኢማነ መርጋ ጂዳ) (born 15 October 1988) is an Ethiopian professional long-distance runner who specializes in the 5000 and 10,000 metres. He won his first world title at the 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championship ...

with a burst of speed to win his first national senior title. However, it was his compatriot who took the title at the

2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships The 2011 IAAF World Cross Country Championships took place on March 20, 2011. The races were held at the Polideportivo Antonio Gil Hernández in Punta Umbría, Spain. Reports of the event were given for the IAAF. Preparation The Uni ...

while Mesfin faded in the latter stages and came eighth, although he and Imane led the Ethiopian's to second in the team rankings. He began to compete on the European road circuit that year and was third at the Giro Media Blenio 10K in April, setting a time of 28:33 minutes. He ran a 5000 m personal best of 13:38.92 minutes at the

Athletissima Athletissima is an annual athletics meeting in Lausanne, Switzerland. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the Diamond League. The first edition was held on 8 July 1977 in the Stade Pierre de Coubertin. In ...

meet in June and made his debut over the

half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of —half the distance of a marathon. It is common for a half marathon event to be held concurrently with a marathon or a 5K race, using almost the same course with a late start, an early finish, or shortcu ...

at the Udine Half Marathon, coming sixth in a time of 1:02:00 hours. At the Cross Zornotza in 2012 he took third place. His 2011/2012 cross country season began with a third-place finish at the Cross de Atapuerca.Valiente, Emeterio (2011-11-13)
Merga and Masai confirm supremacy in Atapuerca as IAAF Cross Country Permit season kicks off
. IAAF. Retrieved on 2011-11-15.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Mesfin, Hunegnaw 1989 births Living people Ethiopian male long-distance runners Sportspeople from Amhara Region 21st-century Ethiopian sportsmen