Mule Wasihun Lakew (born 20 October 1993) is an Ethiopian

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

road running Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road. This differs from track and field on a regular track and cross country running over natural terrain. These events are usually classified as long-distance ru ...

events up to the

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

distance. He was a team silver medallist at the

2016 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships The 2016 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships took place on 26 March 2016 in Cardiff, United Kingdom. It was the 22nd edition of the event and the 4th in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, comm ...

. Mule placed third at the

2019 London Marathon The 2019 London Marathon was the 39th running of the annual marathon race in London, United Kingdom, which took place on 28 April. The elite men's race was won by Kenyan Eliud Kipchoge, who took his fourth London Marathon victory in a time of ...

. He holds a marathon best of 2:03:16 hours. Mule is currently part of the NN Running Team, an international team of elite long-distance runners managed by

Global Sports Communication Global Sports Communication (GSC) is a sports management company based in Nijmegen, Netherlands. It primarily manages elite track-and-field athletes and distance runners, specializing in sprint events, middle-distance events, field events, and roa ...

Nijmegen Nijmegen ( , ; Nijmeegs: ) is the largest city in the Dutch province of Gelderland and the ninth largest of the Netherlands as a whole. Located on the Waal River close to the German border, Nijmegen is one of the oldest cities in the ...

, Netherlands.

Career

Mule first began competing abroad in 2013. He entered a series of races in France and set a best of 1:00:35 minutes for third at the

Nice Half Marathon The Nice Half Marathon () is an annual road running competition over the half marathon distance (21.1 km) held in April in the city of Nice, France. It is organised by the Azur Sport Organisation, who hold several races in the region, includ ...

and won the Paris-Versailles and

Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale The Marseille-Cassis Classique Internationale is an annual half marathon which follows a course from Marseille to Cassis in France during the last weekend in October. It has the silver label of the IAAF Road Race Label Events and is thus among th ...

races. He took victory at the

Paris Half Marathon Paris Half Marathon (''French language, French: Semi-marathon de Paris''), known as the Harmonie Mutuelle Semi de Paris for sponsorship reasons, is an annual half marathon held every March in Paris, France since 1993. Kenya's Stanley Biwott i ...

the following year and defended his Paris-Versailles title, though he was beaten into second in Marseille by

Titus Mbishei Titus Kipjumba Mbishei (born 28 October 1990 in Mount Elgon District) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in track, cross country and road running. He won medals at world junior level and has represented Kenya at the Commonwealth Game ...

. He made his marathon debut at the 2015

Dubai Marathon The Dubai Marathon is an annual road-based marathon hosted by the emirate of Dubai, United Arab Emirates, since 1998. The marathon is categorized as a Gold Label Road Race by World Athletics. History Initial era The inaugural Dubai Marat ...

, though was some way off the winners with 2:10:57 hours in eleventh. He was runner-up at that year's

Zevenheuvelenloop The Zevenheuvelenloop (; English: Seven Hills Run) is an annual Road running, road race of 15K_run, 15 kilometres held in and around Nijmegen, Netherlands. It was first organised in 1984 and has grown to be one of the largest road races in th ...

. After a win at the

Ethiopian Athletics Championships The Ethiopian Athletics Championships is an annual outdoor track and field competition organised by the Ethiopian Athletics Federation, which serves as the national championship for the sport in Ethiopia. The competition was first held in 1971.

, Mule made his international debut at the

2015 African Games The 11th African Games (), also known as Brazzaville 2015, took place from September 4–19, 2015 in Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo. This edition marked the 50th anniversary of the Games, as well as their return to Brazzaville, which hosted t ...

, running 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 ...

. He finished in seventh, almost a minute behind winner Tsebelu Zewude, his compatriot. A big improvement came at the 2016 Dubai Marathon – Mule rounded off an Ethiopian sweep of the top six places with a time of 2:05:44 hours (moving him into the top ten fastest for the year). After a runner-up finish at the Ethiopian Half Marathon Championships he was selected for the

. He won his first international medal there, taking eighth place and helping Ethiopia to the men's team silver medal alongside

Abayneh Ayele Abayneh Ayele Woldegiorgis (born 4 November 1987) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes mainly in road running events. He holds a marathon best of 2:06:45 hours and a half marathon best of 59:59 minutes. He was a bronze medallist in t ...

and

Tamirat Tola Tamirat Tola Abera (born 11 August 1991) is an Ethiopian Olympic and world champion long-distance runner. Hailing from the regional state of Oromia, he competes in track, road and cross country events. He won gold medal in the marathon at the ...

. Mule suffered an unfortunate race at the

World 10K Bangalore The World 10K Bengaluru (known as the TCS World 10K Bengaluru for sponsorship (commercial), sponsorship reasons by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)) is an annual 10 kilometres road running competition which takes place in Bangalore, India. ...

: he was directed the wrong way while in the lead and upon tracking back was chased by a stray dog on the course. He ended the race in ninth. In October Mule was 9th at the

Amsterdam Marathon The Amsterdam Marathon, currently branded as TCS Amsterdam Marathon, is an annual marathon (42.195 km) in Amsterdam in the Netherlands since 1975. The road running, road race has a IAAF Road Race Label Events, Platinum Label from World Athle ...

in 2:07:19. In 2017, Mule returned to the

, where he finished second place in a time of 2:06:46; the race was won by compatriot

in 2:04:11. Mule also returned to the

, where he finished 4th in 2:05:39. Mule won his first race of 2018, setting a new course record of 59:44 at the eDreams Mitja Marato de Barcelona on 11 February. His time beat the previous course record of Kenya's

Eliud Kipchoge Eliud Kipchoge (born 5 November 1984) is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon and formerly specialized in the 5000 metres. Kipchoge is the Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's marathon, 2016 and Athletics at th ...

by 20 seconds. He raced his first marathon of 2018 at the

Rotterdam Marathon The Rotterdam Marathon, currently branded NN Rotterdam Marathon, is an annual marathon that has been held in Rotterdam, Netherlands since 1981. It has been held in April every year since the third edition in 1984 and attracts many top athletes. ...

, where he finished in 6th place in a time of 2:08:13. Mule then raced the

in October, finishing second in 2:04:37. The race was won by Kenya's

Lawrence Cherono Lawrence Cherono (born August 7, 1988) is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He is currently the 8th fastest marathon performer of all time with his 2:03:04 clocking at the 2020 Valencia Marathon. Cherono is a past winner of both the Boston and Chica ...

in 2:04:06. In 2019, Mule was 6th in the

RAK Half Marathon Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon is an annual half marathon held on Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah, United Arab Emirates. History The first event, in 2007, saw Samuel Wanjiru breaking the list of world records in athletics, world record, but Wanj ...

in February, clocking a new personal best time of 59:34. He competed in the

on 28 April, where he finished 3rd in a time of 2:03:16. Mule dropped off the pace being set by Eliud Kipchoge in the closing stages of the race, however he still recorded a personal best time, making him the 13th fastest marathon runner of all time, and the fastest ever 3rd-place finish in a marathon. Kipchoge went on to win the race in a course record time of 2:02:37. Mule competed in the men's marathon at the

2019 World Athletics Championships The 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships () was the seventeenth edition of the biennial, global sport of athletics, athletics competition organised by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), since renamed World Athleti ...

held in

Doha, Qatar Doha ( ) is the capital city and main financial hub of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf coast in the east of the country, north of Al Wakrah and south of Al Khor and Lusail, it is home to most of the country's population. It is also Qatar's ...

. He did not finish his race. Mule's next race was at the NN

15 km in

, Netherlands, where he finished 8th in a time of 43:03. In 2020, Mule returned to the

United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective monarchy made up of Emirates of the United Arab E ...

, where he raced the

on 21 February. He placed 3rd in a time of 59:47. His next race was at the

2020 London Marathon The 2020 London Marathon was the 40th running of the London Marathon, annual marathon race in London, United Kingdom, which took place on 4 October 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, COVID-19 pandemic, the race was postp ...

on 4 October, where he finished 5th in 2:06:08; the race was won by compatriot

Shura Kitata Shura Kitata Tola (born 9 June 1996) is an Ethiopian long-distance runner who competes in the marathon and half-marathon. He has raced in several World Marathon Majors, including the 2020 London Marathon, where he won the race in a time of 2:0 ...

International competitions

National titles

**10,000 metres: 2015

References

External links

*
All Athletics profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mule Wasihun Living people 1993 births Ethiopian male long-distance runners Ethiopian male marathon runners Athletes (track and field) at the 2015 African Games African Games athletes for Ethiopia 21st-century Ethiopian sportsmen