Abdihamid Nur

Abdihamid "Abdi" Nur (born October 14, 1998) is a Somali-born American long-distance runner. He competed collegiately for Northern Arizona University from 2019 to 2022, where he won multiple national titles in the NCAA and set a collegiate record in the outdoor 5000 m. After graduating, Nur signed with Nike and has since won 2 national titles and represented the US at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships, and the 2024 Olympic Games.

Early life Nur was born on October 14, 1998, in Mogadishu, Somalia. He is the second youngest of eight children. He has three older brothers, three older sisters, and a younger sister. His family moved away from Somalia when he was very young due to the country's political instability. He remembers little of his time there since he was still an infant. His mother wanted a safer life for them, so she made the decision for them to leave Somalia.

They stayed in Kenya, where their mother owned a shop, for three short years prior to settling in Cairo, Egypt for five years. Nur was only 4 when they arrived in Egypt. Then, they immigrated to the United States in 2006 where they first lived in New Mexico for a brief period of time. However, they relocated to Apple Valley, Minnesota, where they had extended family members near the area. Their mother was the primary provider for the family. She worked odd jobs as a janitor and babysitter to financially support them. They would relocate once again to Phoenix, Arizona, while Nur was about to enter high school in 2013. Their mother grew tired of the cold climate in Minnesota.

Given Flagstaff’s small population and size, Nur inevitably encountered athletes from the Northern Arizona University (NAU) team during his long runs on trails and road loops. He watched them with astonishment as they passed him with apparent ease. Naturally, this led him to question himself and his abilities. He wondered whether he could become part of NAU to train with the squad or even make the team. It would be challenging enough just to earn a spot on the roster, let alone finish in the top seven. Despite his efforts to meet National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) standards, Nur was deemed a non-qualifier once again in the spring of 2018. Though disappointed by the delay in achieving his goals, he came to appreciate that the two years away from competition had taught him resilience, focus, and the determination to pursue his dreams more relentlessly than ever before. All-American 5000 m Cancelled by COVID-19 Big Sky Cross Country Championships

8000 m 23:55.6 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships 7th 10,000 m 30:05.3

5th 1500 m 3:48.20

5000 m 14:09.20 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships

10,000 m 27:42.73 Big Sky Cross Country Championships 4th 8000 m 23:21.6 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships 7th 10,000 m 28:52.9

Mile 4:03.98

DMR 9:50.86

3000 m 7:59.88

5000 m 13:19.01

1500 m 3:43.55 4th 5000 m 14:10.90 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships

10,000 m 28:14.51

Prep