| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | French |
| Born | 20 October 1992 Adi-keblo, Eritrea |
| Height | 1.64 m (5 ft 4.6 in) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Athletics |
| Event | Long-distance running |
| Club | Entente Franconville Césame Val-d'Oise (EFCVO) |
| Coached by | Thierry Choffin |
Mekdes Woldu (born 20 October 1992) is a French long-distance runner of Eritrean origin.
Mekdes Woldu was born in Adi-keblo, Eritrea. She was naturalized as a French citizen on 26 May 2021. [1]
As an Eritrean athlete, she finished eighth in the 5,000 metres at the 2011 African Games in Maputo.
After becoming a French citizen, she achieved several national titles in 2021, winning the French Championships in the 10,000 metres, the French 10 km Championships, and the French semi-marathon Championships. In October of the same year, she won the Marseille-Cassis 20-kilometre race. [2]
In 2022, she set the new French record for the semi-marathon. She ran her first marathon in Hamburg in April 2023, achieving the third-best performance of all time by a French woman and qualifying for the 2023 World Athletics Championships and the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. [3] In June 2024, she became the official sponsor of the Base Aérienne 705 de Tours. In 2025, she set the new French marathon record.
| Year | Competition | Location | Event | Result | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | African Games | Maputo, Mozambique | 5,000 metres | 8th | 16:08.57 |
| 2021 | French Championships | Pacé, France | 10,000 metres | 1st | 32:20.65 |
| 2024 | Olympic Games | Paris, France | Marathon | 20th | 2:29:20 |
| 2024 | European Championships | Rome, Italy | Semi-marathon | 8th |