He competed at the Summer Olympics in 2008 and 2012. Nahom represented Ethiopia at the 2008 Summer Olympics, running the steeplechase. He reached the steeplechase final at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics.
Nahom also competes road races.
In 2013 he moved to the United States, where he transitioned into a road racer. He first trained in Flagstaff, Arizona in order to run at high altitude. metropolitan area.
At a very competitive 2014 Cherry Blossom 10 Mile Run, Mesfin finished in 12th place with a time of 47:30.