She didn’t leave the stage. She spun it one last time in grit. Dalilah Muhammad, the queen of rhythm between hurdles, is gearing up for her grand finale. After rewriting the rulebook on grace, grit, and gold, she’s now writing her own exit script. At the 2025 USATF Outdoor Championships in Eugene, she reminded the world how legends say goodbye. With speed, soul, and a signature stride that still makes the world stare.

Dalilah stormed through the finish line in 52.65 seconds, barely outpacing her training partner Anna Cockrell, who clocked 52.89. Jasmine Jones charged in next at 53.23, wrapping up a race that felt more like a farewell anthem. The meet, from July 31 to August 3, set the stage for Team USA’s final lineup heading into the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo this September.

Now, impressed with Muhammad, Olympian Justin Gatlin shared his thoughts on the Ready Set Go podcast. “You can’t write a better story, man. I mean, it’s going to be a tall order for her for sure. She’s looking great. She ran great, obviously with her teammate next to her, Anna Cockrell, who also made the team. It was just like an intense practice for them. You can tell as they came off that hurdle off the turn going into the straightaway, it was like they were battling to get to the finish line, but it was kind of like that easy battle.”

Gatlin further talked about the top 3. “Wasn’t that fight-for-your-life kind of battle, you know? But she did an amazing job. Shouts out to Dalilah. Shouts out to all three of the ladies — Jasmine Jones as well. Man, to be able to go out like that is a fairy tale, bro. You’ve got to realize that not all athletes, especially in our sport but also in other sports, get that fairy tale ending you’re looking for.”

Justin Gatlin marveled at Muhammad’s timing, calling it both poetic and puzzling. To win a national crown in what could be her final season and still be in striking distance of a world title? That tugs at any athlete’s soul. He teased the idea—maybe there’s still a little magic left to chase.

“At the same time, you realize Dalilah’s been running since 2013,” Gatlin mentioned. “You look at how long she’s been in the game and then overcoming injuries that kind of had her out for the last couple of years, not being able to compete at the level she wants to. It can be definitely wearing on your mind. So she might be like, ‘Look, this is me. I’ve come to grips with it. This is my last ride. I’m in my ride — one of my best rides.'”

After graduating from USC, Dalilah Muhammad jumped straight into the fire of professional hurdles. She sliced her time down to 55.97, then 54.94, and kept climbing. In 2013, she hit 54.74 in Shanghai, 54.66 in Italy, and 54.33 in Norway before dropping a stunning 53.83 to win her first national title. By 2015, she clocked 57.31 for seventh place but kept Nike stitched to her story.

Muhammad danced through storms that tried to pin her down. A brutal hamstring injury forced her out of the 2022 USATF Outdoor Championships, while COVID-19 and nagging setbacks dimmed her fire before Tokyo. Yet in true champion fashion, she claimed bronze at the 2022 World Championships. Although she missed the 2024 Olympic trials and the Paris stage, her story continued to unfold with grit.

But now it’s time to hang those boots. With the US Championships looming, the 35-year-old looks back at the glitter she scattered. She broke the world record twice, snatched Olympic gold, and earned the crown of World Athlete of the Year in 2019. As her spikes near the shelf, she reflects on legacy, impact, and the footprints she leaves on every lane.

For Dalilah Muhammad, the retirement is a ‘mental thing’

“I think we have this idea that we have to be doing bad to retire, and I don’t think that’s really the truth,” Dalilah Muhammad shared. “It’s more of a mental thing for me, I just mentally know that I want to do other things and track takes up a lot of your time. The effort that you put into it; I haven’t really been able to put that effort into anything else. That’s ultimately where my mindset is, at this moment in time. I want to do that. I know I can still run.”

The 5x world medalist added, “This journey has really just taught me to believe in myself. I’m never going to doubt myself in anything that I want to do. That has been one of the biggest lessons this journey has taught me, just knowing how to dedicate your time and dedicate your energy into doing what you want to achieve, how to achieve those goals and how to make big goals small. And when I saw small, I mean just breaking them up into small little segments and achieving one thing at a time.” 

She wants her name etched in memory as the one who never flinched when the pressure hit hardest. She never needed to win them all—she just made sure the big ones knew her name. To the dreamers lacing up next, she says, go wild, aim high, and chase the impossible like it owes you something.

She knew when to stop the clock, and she chose fireworks over flicker. Dalilah Muhammad leaves with her name inked in gold, her story sealed with grit, grace, and glorious chaos. From world records to quiet comebacks, she gave it all. Now, she trades finish lines for fresh starts—still running, just in a different lane.