Florence Niyonkuru

Florence Niyonkuru (born 2001) is a Rwandan long-distance runner. She won the silver medal over 10,000 metres at the 2026 African Championships in Athletics and the bronze medal at the 2026 Commonwealth Games, the first medal won by a Rwandan athlete since the country joined the Games.

Biography In June 2025, Niyonkuru won the women's half marathon at the 20th edition of the Kigali International Peace Marathon, held on 8 June, finishing in 1:13:57. The following month, she won the 10,000 metres title at the Rwandan Championships, running 32:23.29.

In April 2026, Niyonkuru claimed won the Elite Women's 10,000m at the TCS World 10K in Bengaluru, India. In May, she won the 10,000 metres silver medal at the 2026 African Championships in Athletics in Accra, Ghana, finishing behind Diana Wanza of Kenya. She was selected as part of the Rwanda team for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland, winning the country's first-ever medal at the senior edition of the Games when she took bronze at the women's 10,000 metres, behind Wanza and Rose Davies of Australia.