Former asylum-seeker hopes to represent Canada as an elite marathoner

Daniel Mulusht Zewdu, who now trains with the goal of representing Canada on the world stage, began his journey toward elite running in a UN refugee camp in Israel. Zewdu, who lived in the camp from age 11-26 (he is now 28), says he started running as a fun way to be with his dad three times a week. In seventh grade, Zewdu’s class began doing 2,000-metre tests. “The first time, I ran it in less than eight minutes, and I told myself every time we had a test I wanted to improve my time,” Zewdu says. From there, Zewdu began representing his high school, and said he was driven to pursue medals.

Originally from Sudan, Zewdu fled the country with his family in an attempt to escape the war. He made the journey through Egypt with his father and brother and crossed into Israel, hiding in culverts by day and travelling by night. The night that Zewdu and his family made it to Israel, 57 people were shot, and he and his brother were briefly separated from their father before making it safely to the refugee camp. He is now a permanent resident of Canada, and hopes to become a Canadian citizen, which will take five years. 

Zewdu says his experiences have helped shape his approach toward running: “I came from a not-easy place, and went through a lot in life as an asylum seeker,” he explains. “A lot of people don’t get a chance to live life, so I take advantage of it and am always grateful for the opportunity.”

Zewdu’s running skills drew attention when he was a teenager, and he was given the opportunity to train with the Israeli national team, where the young athlete ran speedy PBs of 29:10 in the 10K, and 2:17 for the marathon. In 2022, Zewdu arrived in Canada, sponsored by the Anglican Church, and began training under the guidance of former Olympic marathoner Bruce Deacon in Victoria.

“Daniel is such a hard worker and his tenacity and determination are inspiring to me as a coach, and also to my other athletes who train with him,” Deacon says. “The struggles he has overcome, and in fact is still overcoming, demonstrate a depth of character that I don’t often see. In spite of a really difficult life, he remains full of optimism and exudes an infectious enthusiasm for life.”

While Zewdu has always wanted to race against the best, for him, running is about more than the competition. “Running is my happy place,” he says. “It gives me a lot of appreciation for life and inner peace.” Zewdu says that the unique demands of running motivate him to be disciplined, and have helped build him into a stronger person, better able to handle life outside the sport.

Zewdu hopes to tackle the California International Marathon next, on Dec. 3. “My main drive for now is to represent Canada on the biggest stages, and run big to get a medal.”