The ‘Queen of the Quarter Mile’ sets her sights on the World Athletic Championships in Tokyo, possibly her final lap on the global stage ~
Bengaluru, 24 April 2025: 
“This is my first time in India, and I’m so excited to be here for an event that celebrates running and brings so many people together,” Dalilah said. “Running has given me so much, and it’s amazing to see that same spirit here in Bengaluru.”
The 35-year-old most recently clocked her season’s best at the Botswana Grand Prix on 12 April, proving she is still a force to be reckoned with. “I want to walk away knowing I could still do it. That is important to me”, she said.
Speaking on her illustrious career, Dalilah revealed she had initially planned to retire in 2024, after the Paris Olympics. However, after taking a much-needed break to recover physically and mentally, she decided to push her farewell season to 2025. “My body just truly needed a break,” she said. “I’ve always pushed myself to the limit, and I wanted to end my career feeling strong, not depleted.”
In a year that could possibly see her compete for the last time, she spoke optimistically about the World Athletics Championships scheduled for September in Tokyo “My training is going well, and I’m looking forward to being in Tokyo later this year. It’s going to be special for me, and every step I take now is part of that preparation,” said the former world- record holder in 400m hurdles.
She further added, “I had a lot of setbacks in the past, just dealing with a lot of injuries, and I think in 2024, I really just had to take the time to slow down. Finally, now I’m in a position where I can just amp it up again. So yeah, I’m running as well as I’ve run in the past.”
All for Grand Slams in World Athletics
Dalilah also threw her weight behind the concept of ‘Grand Slams’ in athletics. “I absolutely love it,” she said. “It’s about professionalising the sport, ensuring athletes are compensated, and giving them more chances to showcase what they can do. I even love the idea of athletes running more than one event, although anyone who knows me knows I hate the 400 metres flats”, she said.
Dalilah also highlighted the growing community spirit that defines mass participative events like TCS World 10K. “I think it’s so much fun when you’re running together. And I think for me, my favourite and most enjoyable experience in running is just when I’m running for fun and running with people who just want to unite and have that common goal of loving to run and getting out there to move their bodies,” she shared.
Recalling her early days with a local track club, she added, “I’ve been running since I was seven years old, and at the time, I ran with a local track club. I remember those were my best days and memories as a child, walking to practice, even by myself, just because I wanted to be there with my friends. It just has such great memories when you can unite different people from different backgrounds, and we’d all be together.
