Fatima Ezzahra Birdaha made Morocco’s national anthem ring out once again in Taranto. The Moroccan athlete won the gold medal in the half marathon at the 2026 Mediterranean Games on Thursday, September 3, just days after winning the 5,000-meter title.
Birdaha completed a remarkable double at the Games in Italy. Having already won the 5,000-meter race on Sunday, Birdaha confirmed her strong form by winning the much longer half-marathon and adding a second Mediterranean Games title to her record.
This latest victory also gave Morocco its 16th gold medal since the start of the competition.
Thanks to strong performances by its athletes in the final days, the Moroccan delegation continues to climb the overall standings and now sits in seventh place in the medal table.
