Diane Nukuri
Personal Bests
Road Race
39:21
8/21/2022
10 Miles Road
53:23
9/12/2021
15 Kilometres Road
50:44
3/20/2021
5 Kilometres Road
15:34=
4/14/2018
10,000 Metres
The XXXI Olympic Games
31:28.69
8/12/2016
Road Race
39:21
8/21/2022
10 Miles Road
53:23
9/12/2021
15 Kilometres Road
50:44
3/20/2021
5 Kilometres Road
15:34=
4/14/2018
10,000 Metres
The XXXI Olympic Games
31:28.69
8/12/2016

Diane Nukuri was only 15 when she left her village in Burundi to compete in the Sydney Olympics. Her experience there solidified an idea that she had been considering since she began traveling for races. After winning the bronze medal in the 10,000m at the Francophone Games in Canada the following year, she remained in the country and was granted asylum from her war-torn country. Since then she’s gone on to two more Olympics, top 8 finishes in three major marathons, and has set the Burundian National Records for distances from 1,500m to the marathon.
Key to her success, not only in racing but in life, is her willingness to embrace change and to try new things.
For complete show notes and links, visit our website at runningforreal.com/episode346.
Photo credit: Kevin Morris
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This week’s conversation is with Diane Nukuri, a three-time Olympian for Burundi whose career I’ve been following for 22 years now. Diane is an incredible athlete—she’s competed in three Olympic Games in three different events—and she’s one of the most versatile road racers of the past decade.
In this episode, we talked about her childhood in Burundi and how running came into her life. She told me how she’s used running as a vehicle for exploration and opportunity from the time she was a teenager and also what it was like to leave her home country for track meet when she was 16, knowing she wasn’t going to go back. Diane talked openly about adjusting to life in Canada and then the U.S., she me told some good stories about her partner, five-time U.S. Olympian Abdi Abdirahman, we discussed how having a good “off” switch has helped her have a long competitive running career, and a lot more.
This episode is brought to you by:
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Music and editing for this episode of the morning shakeout podcast by John Summerford.
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Carrie interviews 4-time Olympian Abdi Abdirahman! He chats about starting a new training group with Mo Farah, training for the Boston Marathon, and much more.
Show notes for this episode can be found at ctollerun.com.
Abdi Abdirahman
Abdi Abdirahman is a Somali-born American distance runner. Abdi competed in the 2000, 2004 and 2008 Olympics in the 10,000m, and was on the 2012 US Olympic Marathon marathon team. Abdi also has four U.S. 10,000m titles. Abdi and his girlfriend, professional runner Diane Nukuri, live and train in Arizona.

“We fail all the time, and we learn from it and we get better. I think that’s amazing. You fail your way to success. That’s how it happens, and I’m super comfortable with that. I have no problem pointing out a bunch of failures in my career. But I don’t define myself or my career as a failure.” —Des Linden
Desiree Linden is a professional distance runner who has represented the United States at the London and Rio Olympics. She runs for the Hansons-Brooks Distance Project in Michigan, and is a strong, consistent 2:22 marathoner. In one month, Des will race the Boston Marathon, and on this episode she talks about how her training has been going, and why she’s in it to win it. She also talks about why she thinks women are often hesitant to admit their big, scary, awesome goals, and opens up her recent running burnout — and how she busted out of it. Plus, Des talks about failure — and why she’s not afraid of it — and shares her big post-Boston goal. (Hint: She wants to make big moves in 2020.)
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