Elvin Josué Canales Escoto (born 5 September 2001) is a Honduran-born Spanish middle-distance runner. In 2025, he became the Spanish indoor national record holder over 800 metres, and earned the bronze medal in this event at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing.
Early life Born in Honduras, his parents were both 17 years-old when he was born. His mother works as a carer and his father a bricklayer. He moved to Girona in Spain when he was three years-old.
Career In 2017 he won the Spanish Under-18 Championships in Getafe in both the 400 and 800 metres races.
Representing Honduras he won gold in the 800 metres and 1500 metres at the 2020 Central American Championships in Athletics in Costa Rica.
In June 2024, he ran 1:44.49 in Guadalajara to meet the minimum standard for the Olympic Games. Later that month he received clearance to represent Spain. In his first race as a Spaniard he finished second in the 800 meters at the Spanish Athletics Championships in La Nucia. He competed in the 800 metres at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris in August 2024.
Competing at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Tour meeting in Luxembourg in January 2025, he took the Spanish indoor record and moved to sixth on the all-time European 800 metres list with a run of 1:44.65. He qualified for the final of the 800 metres at the 2025 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn. He qualified for the final of the 800 metres at the 2025 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, where he earned a bronze medal.
Canales was selected for the 2026 World Athletics Indoor Championships in Poland in March 2026 and was active in the front of his 800 m heat, but did not advance to the semi-finals, running 1:47.30.
International competitions Representing 2017World U18 ChampionshipsNairobi, Kenya4th (sf)400 m48.21Central American GamesManagua, Nicaragua2nd800 m1:52.922018Youth Olympic GamesBuenos Aires, Argentina15th800 m1:52.522020Central American ChampionshipsSan José, Costa Rica1st800 m2:01.301st1500 m4:05.46Representing 2024Olympic GamesParis, France33rd (h)800 m1:46.482025European Indoor ChampionshipsApeldoorn, Netherlands5th800 m 1:45.88World Indoor ChampionshipsNanjing, China3rd800 m 1:45.032026World Indoor ChampionshipsToruń, Poland22nd (h)800 m 1:47.30
References
External links
Elvin Josué Canales at RFEA
Elvin Josue Canales at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics Elvin Josué Canales – COE – Paris 2024