Dalilah Muhammad

Sports Career of Dalilah Muhammad | Dalilah Muhammad Biography

Dalilah Muhammad is the former world record holder in the 400-meter hurdles. She’s currently the third fastest athlete ever at this event, behind Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol.

Muhammad has been competing internationally since she qualified for the World Youth Championships in Athletics in 2007, held in Ostrava, Czech Republic. She won the 400-meter hurdles at this competition.

Muhammad grew up in Queens, New York, where she was a standout athlete in many of the short sprints. After high school, she received a scholarship to the University of Southern California.  

After a solid college career, she was still unsponsored but pursued a professional career. In 2013, she competed around the world primarily in the 400-meter hurdles. She ran 53.83 seconds to win the USA Championships and went on to qualify for her first World Championships. She didn’t show any signs of nerves on the big stage, finishing second.

Muhammad qualified for her first Olympic Games in 2016 after running 52.88 seconds to win the USA Olympic Trials. At the Olympics, she cruised through the heats and semi-final and won the gold medal with a time of 53.13 seconds. A week later, she won the Diamond League Final in Lausanne, Switzerland.

Muhammad continued to dominate the international circuit in 2017, finishing second behind teammate Kori Carter at the World Athletics Championships despite running well with a time of 53.50 seconds. She finished her season on top with a victory at the Diamond League Final in Brussels.

Muhammad broke the world record for the first time on July 28, 2019, with a time of 52.20 seconds at the USA Championships. Previously, Yulia Pechonkina’s record of 52.34 seconds had stood since 2003. Muhammad went on to ride this momentum into the World Championships, winning with another world record time of 52.16 seconds.

Most of the 2020 season was lost due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, but she came back strong in 2021, running 51.58 seconds in the Olympic final. Despite being a new world record time, Sydney McLaughlin edged her out with 51.46 seconds to take home gold and capture the world record for herself.

Over the next three years, Muhammad remained one of the top long hurdlers in the World, but the event was dominated by Femke Bol and Sydney McLaughlin. In 2022, she finished third at the World Championships behind these two women.

Muhammad battled with injuries in 2024 and finished sixth at the 2024 USA Olympic Trials. She didn’t qualify for the Olympic Team, although her time would have still qualified for most other countries.

She wrapped up her career by winning the 2025 USA Championships and competing at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. In the last race of her career, she finished seventh in the final of the World Championships.

Dalilah Muhammad Personal Life and Other Facts | Dalilah Muhammad

Muhammad grew up in Jamaica, Queens, New York City. She competed in many events through high school, including hurdles, sprints, and jumps. In 2008, she won the Nike outdoor national title in the 400-meter hurdles.

She was unsponsored after college and financially supported by her parents before her track career took off and she became the greatest 400-meter hurdler of her generation. Her mother worked as a child protection specialist. Her father was a Muslim Chaplain for the New York City Department of Corrections and a professor of Islamic Studies at the New York Theological Seminary. 

The decision to bet on herself would pay off, as she would go on to become the world record holder and Olympic Champion.

FAQs | Dalilah Muhammad

What happened to Dalilah Muhammad? | Dalilah Muhammad Retired

Dalilah Muhammad had injuries in 2024 that hampered her build-up to the Olympics, and she didn’t qualify for the highly competitive American Olympic Team. She qualified for the World Championships in 2025, finishing seventh in the final. She retired at the end of the 2025 season at the age of 35, leaving behind a highly successful hurdling career.

How old is Dalilah Muhammad?

Dalilah Muhammad is 36 years old, born on February 7, 1990.

How tall is Dalilah Muhammad? | Dalilah Muhammad Height

Dalilah Muhammad is about 170cm or about 5’7” tall, according to her college profile.