Isaac Makwala

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Isaac Makwala
Makwala in 2015
Personal information
Born (1985-09-24) 24 September 1985 (age 40)
Tutume, Botswana
Height1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight78 kg (172 lb)
Sport
SportAthletics
Event(s)
200 metres, 400 metres
ClubFrancistown Athletics Club
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing  Botswana
Olympic Games
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Tokyo 4×400 m relay
IAAF World Relays
Silver medal – second place 2017 Nassau 4x400 m relay
Bronze medal – third place 2021 Chorzów 4×400 m relay
Commonwealth Games
Gold medal – first place 2018 Gold Coast 400 m
Gold medal – first place 2018 Gold Coast 4x400 m relay
African Championships
Gold medal – first place 2012 Porto Novo 400 m
Gold medal – first place 2014 Marrakesh 400 m
Gold medal – first place 2014 Marrakesh 4x400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2008 Addis Ababa 400 m
Silver medal – second place 2010 Nairobi 4x400 m relay
Silver medal – second place 2014 Marrakesh 200 m
African Games
Gold medal – first place 2007 Algiers 4x400 m relay
Gold medal – first place 2015 Brazzaville 400 m
Silver medal – second place 2015 Brazzaville 4x400 m relay
Representing Africa
Continental Cup
Silver medal – second place 2014 Marrakech 400m
Gold medal – first place 2014 Marrakech 4×400m relay
Updated on 17 September 2015

Isaac Makwala (born 24 September 1985[1]) is a Botswana sprinter who specializes in the 400 metres.[1][2]

Career

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He was the gold medallist[3] at the Commonwealth Games in 2018.[4] He has also won continental titles at the distance, winning at the 2015 African Games[5] and twice at the African Championships in Athletics (2012, 2014). He has represented his country Botswana at the 2016 Summer Olympics, three times at the Commonwealth Games, and five times at the World Championships in Athletics (2007, 2009, 2013, 2015, 2017). With the Botswana 4 × 400 metres relay team he has won the bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics,[6] a silver medal at the 2017 IAAF World Relays[7] and medals at the African Games and Championships.

His personal best time of 43.72,[8] set 5 July 2015 in La Chaux-de-Fonds was an African continental record and ranks him 13th on the all-time list. He is also a sub-20 200 metres runner.[9]

On July 14, 2017, Isaac Makwala became the first man in history to run a 200 m within 20 seconds and a 400 m within 44 seconds on the same day by running 43.92 in the 400, then 19.77 (no wind) in the 200, 2 hours and 20 minutes later at the Meeting de Atletismo Madrid.[10][9]

He qualified for 400m final at the 2017 World Championships, before being withdrawn from the race, due to illness.[11][12] He then qualified for the 200 m final after running solo in a time trial of the 200m heat which he had been banned from earlier,[13][14] placing overall sixth in the final.[13] The "Solo run" inspired the title of his book written by Dr. Tshepang Tshube entitled The Solo Runner: The Untold Story of Isaac Makwala published in 2021.[15][16]

He competed in the 400m at the 2020 Summer Olympics, finishing 7th in the final.[17]

Major competitions record

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Representing  Botswana
Year Competition Venue Position Event Notes
2007 All-Africa Games Algiers, Algeria 17th (sf) 400 m 47.02
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:03.16
World Championships Osaka, Japan 14th (h) 4 × 400 m relay 3:05.96
2008 African Championships Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 2nd 400 m 45.64
4th 4 × 400 m relay 3:06.54
2009 World Championships Berlin, Germany 34th (h) 400 m 46.45
2010 World Indoor Championships Doha, Qatar – (h) 4 × 400 m relay DQ
African Championships Nairobi, Kenya 14th (sf) 400 m 46.92
2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:05.16
Commonwealth Games Melbourne, Australia 20th (sf) 400 m 47.07
5th 4 × 400 m relay 3:04.65
2011 All-Africa Games Maputo, Mozambique 7th 400 m 46.78
2012 World Indoor Championships Istanbul, Turkey 5th (h) 4 × 400 m relay 3:13.21 (NR)
African Championships Porto Novo, Benin 1st 400 m 45.25
– 4 × 400 m relay DQ
2013 World Championships Moscow, Russia 28th (h) 200 m 20.84
22nd (h) 4 × 400 m relay 3:05.74
2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow, United Kingdom 9th (sf) 400 m 45.57
African Championships Marrakech, Morocco 2nd 200 m 20.51
1st 400 m 44.23
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:01.89
2015 World Relays Nassau, Bahamas 8th 4 × 400 m relay 3:03.73
World Championships Beijing, China 5th 400 m 44.63
9th (h) 4 × 400 m relay 2:59.95
African Games Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo 1st 400 m 44.35
2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:00.95
2016 African Championships Durban, South Africa 4th 400 m 46.58
Olympic Games Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 22nd (sf) 400 m 46.60
5th 4 × 400 m relay 2:59.06
2017 World Relays Nassau, Bahamas 2nd 4 × 400 m relay 3:02.28
World Championships London, United Kingdom 6th 200 m 20.44
4th (sf) 400 m 44.301
2018 Commonwealth Games Gold Coast, Australia 1st 400 m 44.35
1st 4 × 400 m relay 3:01.78
2019 African Games Rabat, Morocco 8th (sf) 400 m 46.55
2021 World Relays Chorzów, Poland 3rd 4 × 400 m relay 3:04.77
Olympic Games Tokyo, Japan 7th 400 m 44.94
3rd 4 × 400 m relay 2:57.27
2022 World Championships Eugene, United States 21st (sf) 400 m 46.04
6th 4 × 400 m relay 3:00.14

1Did not start in the final

Personal bests

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Track records

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As of 16 September 2024, Makwala holds the following track records for 200 metres and 400 metres.

200 metres

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Location Time Windspeed
m/s 		Date
Madrid 19.77 0.0 14/07/2017

400 metres

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Location Time Date
Brazzaville 44.35 15/09/2015
Gold Coast
Queensland		 44.35 10/04/2018
La Chaux-de-Fonds 43.72
NR		 05/07/2015
Marrakesh 44.23 12/08/2014

References

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  1. ^ a b "Home of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games". Commonwealth Games - Birmingham 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  2. ^ "Isaac MAKWALA | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  3. ^ Editors, ATAF (10 April 2018). "Commonwealth Games: Makwala achieves golden promise with 400m title – Athletics Africa". Retrieved 17 October 2025. {{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  4. ^ "Makwala wins elusive 400m GOLD medal at Commonwealth Games | MAKING OF CHAMPIONS". 10 April 2018. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  5. ^ Omogbeja, Yomi (16 September 2015). "Wanjiru breaks Games record, Makwala and Amusan shine on Day 3 –… – Athletics Africa". Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  6. ^ "Tokyo Olympics end on a high for US men with victory in 4x400m | REPORT | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  7. ^ "FINAL | 4x400 Metres Relay | Results | Nassau (T. Robinson Stadium) 2017 | World Athletics Relays". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  8. ^ "Isaac MAKWALA | Profile | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Makwala achieves historic 200m-400m double in Madrid | REPORTS | World Athletics". worldathletics.org. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  10. ^ "Centro Deportive Municipal Moratalaz" [Moratalaz Municipal Sports Center] (PDF) (in Spanish). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 August 2017.
  11. ^ Dutch, Taylor (8 August 2017). "Isaac Makwala Withdrawn From 400m Final At World Championships". FloTrack. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  12. ^ "World Athletics Championships 2017: Isaac Makwala barred from 400m as he needed to be quarantined, say IAAF - Sports News , Firstpost". Firstpost. 9 August 2017. Archived from the original on 24 November 2020. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  13. ^ a b "Isaac Makwala has 'unfinished business' at World Athletics Championships". BBC Sport. 12 July 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  14. ^ Prevor, Harry (9 August 2017). "Isaac Makwala Is Freed: Runs 20.2 Solo, Qualifies For 200m Worlds Semifinal". FloTrack. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  15. ^ "The Solo Runner: The Untold Story of Isaac Makwala: Tshube, Tshepang: 9789996862472: Amazon.com: Books". www.amazon.com. Archived from the original on 20 March 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  16. ^ "Makwala presents his book titled The Solo Runner, and cover to UB Management | University of Botswana". www.ub.bw. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
  17. ^ Kolantsho, Calistus (5 August 2021). "Makwala misses out on maiden Olympic medal". Mmegi Online. Retrieved 17 October 2025.
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