The inspiring journey of US-based Kenya's 100m hurdles record holder Rukia Nusra
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Reading Time: 3min | Fri. 10.01.25. | 19:51
Born on August 29, 2001, in Kakamega, Rukia’s love for hurdling began in 2015 when she was in class eight at Mumias Central Primary School
Sprinting has long been a challenging pursuit for women in Kenya, with many female sprinters opting to abandon the journey along the way.
However, national 100m hurdles record holder Rukia Nusra is determined to defy the odds and push beyond her personal best of 13.87 seconds.
Born on August 29, 2001, in Kakamega, Rukia’s love for hurdling began in 2015 when she was in class eight at Mumias Central Primary School. She was inspired after watching American hurdler Kendra “Keni” Harrison compete.
Despite lacking formal training, Rukia’s innate talent shone through. She practised by positioning herself in bed, angling herself like a hurdler, and imagining clearing hurdles.
Her first major assignment was representing Kenya at the 2017 World U18 Championships in Nairobi where she failed to go past the first round in the 100m hurdles. Despite that, she was determined to keep growing.
“It was a miracle, a world thing,” she recalled of her first competition, where she ran with no prior training.
Her determination saw her excel in school competitions.
Attending St. Francis Rangala Secondary School in Siaya, Rukia embraced sports as a way to gain freedom in boarding school. She participated in hurdles from her first year, culminating in a victory at the 2019 National Secondary Schools 100m hurdles during her final year.
Following that, the speedster lost interest in athletics after completing high school in 2019.
The Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 further compounded her struggles as she gained weight and drifted away from the sport. She weighed 84kgs at the time.
However, in September 2020, Rukia reignited her passion by reaching out to renowned sprints coach Vincent Mumo.
Known for guiding the late Nicholas Bett to a historic 400m hurdles gold at the 2015 World Championships and Boniface Mucheru to silver at the 2016 Rio Olympics, Mumo became a pivotal figure in Rukia’s resurgence. She trained alongside elite athletes in Ngong, in the process rediscovering her purpose.
At just 19, Rukia became the youngest member of Team Kenya at the 2021 World Relay Championships in Silesia, Poland.
Competing in the shuttle relay team alongside Priscilla Tabunda, Vanic Kerubo, Wiseman Were, and Michael Musyoka, Rukia helped secure Kenya’s place in the medal bracket against formidable teams from Poland and Germany.
Nusra, who won her maiden national 100m hurdles in 2023 in a Kenyan record 13.87 seconds at the Nyayo National Stadium, broke the record again with a time of 13.70 at the Third Athletics Kenya Track and Field Meeting on January 26, 2024 at the same venue.
This performance cemented her status as Kenya’s premier hurdler and rekindled her dream of becoming the first East African woman to run sub-13 seconds in the event.
Rukia’s journey is deeply rooted in her passion for the sport.
With the support of her parents, who encourage her with YouTube videos and motivational advice, she has embraced hurdles as a technical and demanding discipline.
“Hurdles require speed and technique. I want to show that even in Kenya, people can excel in hurdles,” she said in a past interview.
Beyond personal achievements, Rukia aspires to inspire the next generation of athletes and redefine the narrative around sprinting and hurdles in Kenya.
She has her eyes firmly set on the Tokyo World Championships in 2025.
Balancing her blossoming athletics career with nursing studies at the University of Akron in the USA, the determined athlete is chasing ambitious personal bests of 12.90 seconds outdoors and 8.20 seconds indoors.
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