If you don’t already know the name Camryn Dailey, go ahead and write it down in permanent marker. The 13-year-old sprinter from Raleigh, North Carolina is rewriting the record books and making history before she’s even hits high school. It’s clear that the track world has a new phenom on its hands.
Representing Track Xplosion Youth Club, Camryn has been blazing past her competition and we’re not just talking middle schoolers. This seventh-grade superstar has already crushed three world records this year alone, and the numbers are jaw-dropping.
Over the weekend, Camryn ran the 400 meters in a jaw-dropping 51.67 seconds at the New Brooks PR Junior Invitational. That makes her the first middle schooler in history to break 52 seconds.
Dailey’s time was the second-fastest 400m by any high school athlete this year, and the fastest ever by someone her age. For context, Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone clocked a 51.87 as a high school senior. Camryn just beat that…in middle school!
The comparisons don’t stop there. Allie Wilson, Aaliyah Butler, and Athing Mu all hovered around 52 seconds in high school and now, Camryn’s already right there with them.
Her 400m isn’t the only distance she’s dominating. Earlier this season, she clocked a 23.76 in the 200m at the VA Showcase, then followed it up with a personal best 22.90 at the Ken Roberts-Panthers Elite Track and Field Challenge. And, if that wasn’t awe-inspiring enough, Dailey holds the age-13 world record in the 100m at 11.37. Her 7.40 in the 60m isn’t far from that age-group world record either.
It’s not just the speed that’s inspiring — it’s her energy. After her record-breaking 400m, Camryn was fired up. And who could blame her? She’s not just winning — she’s making history.
While the Olympic stage is still a few years off, Camryn Dailey is clearly on the right path. With this kind of talent and passion, the future of U.S. track and field is in very capable (and fast-moving) hands. Let’s just hope she keeps having fun, stays healthy, and continues chasing greatness — because she’s already living it.
Photo Credit: Soundrunning Instagram; Camryn Dailey Instagram;
