Rukia Nusra

Happy birthday to Kenya’s Rukia Nusra, the national record holder in both the 100m hurdles and the 60m hurdles, and the first Kenyan woman ever to run under 13 seconds over the barriers.

Read that again, because of where she is from. Kenya is the greatest distance-running nation the sport has ever produced, and its sprint hurdles history was, until very recently, almost blank. Rukia has personally rewritten it. The national record was 13.99 when she started chasing it. She took it to 13.87, then 13.13, then in late May this year she ran 12.96 and became the first Kenyan woman through the 13-second wall — and then, two days later, took it again, down to 12.88. Her own reaction: “”Yes, I did it again. I’m so happy to have lowered my national record once more.”” She holds the indoor 60m hurdles record at 8.13 as well.

In a 2025 interview she named two goals: break 13 seconds, and become the first East African woman to hurdle at a global championship. She ticked the first one off in May. And in July she made her Commonwealth Games debut for Kenya in Glasgow, alongside Omanyala and Cheruiyot, arriving with exactly the attitude you want: “”I feel like I belong here.””

She is a two-time Kenyan champion, has finished top eight at both the African Championships and the All-African Games, and studies public health at the University of Kentucky under Lonnie Greene, having moved there in 2025. She serves with the Kenya Defence Forces. She names Ferdinand Omanyala as her inspiration, which is fitting — he opened the door for Kenyan sprinting, and she has walked through it and built a second room.

Heri ya kuzaliwa, Rukia! Wishing you health, joy and a year of ten barriers that never once get in your way. 🎂🎁🎉🫶🫶🇰🇪