# Dylan Beard

Dylan Beard (born 15 September 1998) is an American hurdler specializing in the 110 metres hurdles. He was notable for winning the 2024 Millrose Games 60 m hurdles while being unsponsored and working as a Walmart deli employee.

## Career

Competing for Archbishop Spalding High School, in 2016 Beard set a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association championship record in the 55 metres hurdles, running 7.49 seconds. He placed 7th in the finals of the 2017 USATF U20 Outdoor Championships.
Beard competed for three different NCAA teams in college, transferring from the Wagner Seahawks to the Hampton Pirates and attending graduate school with the Howard Bison track and field team. Beard qualified for the 2019, 2022, and 2023 NCAA East preliminary rounds in the 110 m hurdles but did not advance to the NCAA Division I Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championships or the indoor NCAA championships during his collegiate career.
At the 2023 Tom Jones Memorial meet, Beard improved his 110 m hurdles personal best from 13.55 to 13.31 seconds. This qualified him for the 2023 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, where he advanced from the first round but placed 7th in his semifinal and did not make the finals. He was nonetheless selected for the 2023 U.S. Pan American Games team, where he ran 14.15 seconds to place 6th in the 110 m hurdles final.
Beard significantly improved his times in early 2024, going undefeated throughout the indoor season in the 60 metres hurdles up through the 2024 Millrose Games, running 7.44 seconds to pull an upset win over Daniel Roberts, Trey Cunningham, and Cordell Tinch. Despite his success at Millrose, Beard only ran 7.65 seconds at the 2024 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships and was the fastest athlete to not qualify for the finals.
At his last meet before the 2024 United States Olympic trials, Beard ran a personal best of 13.10 seconds in the 110 m hurdles, making him the 10th-fastest performer in the world that year. At the trials, Beard ran 13.19 seconds in his first round to advance to the semifinals, but his 13.38-second semifinal performance was not fast enough to advance to the finals and qualify for the 2024 U.S. Olympic team.

## Personal life

Beard is from Baltimore, Maryland, where he played football and ran track at Archbishop Spalding High School. Beard's cousin is NFL football player Antoine Bethea.
In 2024, Beard was presented with a $20,000 check from his employer Walmart on The TODAY Show to support his attempt to qualify for the Olympics.

## Statistics
### Personal best progression

110m Hurdles progression :
| # | Mark | Pl. | Competition | Venue | Date |
| 1 | 14.42 (+1.7 m/s) | | TCNJ Invitational, College of NJ | Ewing, NJ | 7 Apr 2017 |
| 2 | 14.33 (+0.6 m/s) | (Round B) | IC4A Outdoor Track & Field Championships, Princeton | Princeton, NJ | 11 May 2017 |
| 3 | 14.27 (+1.3 m/s) | (Round C) | 2019 Colonial Relays | Williamsburg, VA | 5 Apr 2019 |
| 4 | 14.12 (±0.0 m/s) | 4th (Heat 1) | Penn Relays, Franklin Field | Philadelphia, PA | 25 Apr 2019 |
| 5 | 14.03 (+1.0 m/s) | 5th (Heat 4) | NCAA East Preliminary Round | Jacksonville, FL | 23 May 2019 |
| 6 | 13.85 (±0.0 m/s) | (Heat 2) | Morgan State Legacy Track & Field Meet | Baltimore, MD | 22 Apr 2022 |
| 7 | 13.55 (+0.6 m/s) | | Morgan State Legacy Track & Field Meet | Baltimore, MD | 22 Apr 2022 |
| 8 | 13.31 (+2.0 m/s) | | UF Tom Jones Memorial | Gainesville, FL | 14 Apr 2023 |
| 9 | 13.25 (+0.8 m/s) | | Aggie Invitational | Greensboro, NC | 3 May 2024 |
| 10 | 13.10 (+0.7 m/s) | | Last Chance Qualifier @ Mceachern High School | Marietta, GA | 7 Jun 2024 |