Mazlum Demir, who represents Türkiye in the long-distance walking discipline, is a national athlete who has drawn attention with his international achievements despite his young age. Born on 19 December 2003, the athlete began his athletics career in Batman and rose to prominence through disciplined training from the grassroots level. Specializing in the endurance and strategy-intensive events of 10,000 metres and 20 kilometres race walking, Demir achieved his first major success in 2022.

Mazlum Demir was born in Batman and was introduced to athletics there. He began his sporting career with the support of the Batman Directorate of Youth and Sports, Petrolspor, and the Batman Athletics Representative Office. From an early age, Demir participated in competitions. According to Batman Athletics Representative Ufuk Başkut, Mazlum Demir has competed under the banner of Batman Petrolspor for over a decade and was developed as a product of the strong support given to grassroots athletics. Through training conducted with his coach Sadullah Ergün, he implemented a disciplined training program and achieved national-level success at an early age.

Mazlum Demir made his first major international breakthrough at the 2022 World Athletics U20 Championships held in Cali, Colombia. He won the gold medal in the men’s 10,000 metres race walk with a time of 42:36.02. This championship holds a significant place in the history of Turkish athletics.

Mazlum Demir made history as the first athlete from Batman to represent Türkiye at the 2024 Paris Olympics. He competed in the marathon mixed relay alongside Ayşe Tekdal, finishing in 23rd place with a time of 3:14:53. Although he did not win a medal, this event marked a turning point in his career. Of the 25 pairs competing in the event, only two failed to finish; Demir and Tekdal successfully completed the race.

In 2025, at the European U23 Athletics Championships held in Bergen, Norway, Mazlum Demir won the gold medal in the 10,000 metres race walk. He took the lead during the final 3,000 metres of the race and maintained it until the finish. With a personal best time of 39:45.84, he became European champion. In this competition, Demir demonstrated both strategic race tactics and physical superiority. During the final lap, he managed to pull away from Italian rival Emiliano Brigante, who had pushed him throughout the race.

^{Mazlum Demir (}European Athletics⁾

The European championship coincided with a period in which Mazlum Demir trained without a coach. After his previous coach, Olimpiada Ivanova, did not renew her contract with the team, Demir decided to train independently. In a statement following the race, he credited his club, ENKA Spor, and his teammates for their support in overcoming this challenging phase.

Mazlum Demir’s most recent and latest achievement is the gold medal he won at the 2025 European U23 Athletics Championships. This victory has demonstrated that he is not only a talented athlete but also a mentally strong competitor. During the race, which was live-streamed by the European Athletics Federation, Demir secured another gold medal for Türkiye and added a new peak to his career.