“Can you run?” Photographer Robin Harper proposes an action shot in the courtyard of Penske Media’s headquarters as clouds give way to the sun over West Los Angeles. Track-and-field superstar Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone smiles politely on this mid-May morning: “I’ll jog.”
The 26-year-old Angeleno, in the home stretch of the only race that matters right now, is gearing up for the birth of her first child, a girl, in July. “I didn’t anticipate how much your body changes. Some days you feel great and some days you sit on the couch. It’s not the time to push through. You need to back off and let your body do what it has to do,” said the longtime New Balance athlete — who’s in full baby-prep mode with husband Andre Levrone Jr., a former NFL wide receiver.
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“It’s becoming more real,” said McLaughlin-Levrone, who admitted that the couple, who got married in 2022, settled on their baby’s name early in their courtship. “Every day that passes by I’m like, ‘This is really happening.’ We got the nursery done, put together the stroller, the car seat. It’s going to be a new adventure.”
From her sweet romance to a dazzling list of professional feats, this Gen Zer’s life can read like a Hollywood movie script:
The daughter of two standout runners.
An Olympic qualifier at the age of 16, at the Rio Games.
At 21, a world-record breaker in her signature event, the 400-meter hurdles. (Since that fateful day in June 2021, she has shattered her own record an astounding five more times.)
Four-time gold medalist, two captured in Tokyo, two more in Paris.
An American record in an entirely different competition, the 400-meter flat, in 2025.
What many people don’t know is how much it took to get here. Behind the scenes, the athlete struggled with anxiety and imposter syndrome as she made the leap from uncertain teen phenom to confident Olympic champion. In her 2024 memoir, “Far Beyond Gold: Running From Fear to Faith,” McLaughlin-Levrone opened up about how finding faith set her on a new course.
“Before I was a Christian, and even after it for a while, I would think, I’m not really working a real job. I’m not being productive, helping society, building something or doing anything that makes life better for people. I’m just an athlete,” she wrote. “I don’t think that anymore. Now I see that running is God’s plan for my life. He gave me this gift. He gave me a platform. I tell people all the time, there is a responsibility that comes with that. No matter who you are or what you do, what is in your heart pours out…”
On set today, she’s reflecting even more on her transformation during the past several years. She met her husband (thanks to his well-timed Instagram DM), hired a new coach — the legendary Bobby Kersee — and made a home for herself in Los Angeles.
“I was making a lot of shifts in a lot of different ways — from relationships to track to independence, all those things,” she said. “I’ve found more of my voice and who I am. Stepping into motherhood, that’s going to shift and change, but I do think I have a firm understanding of what I stand for.”
Family Ties
Family has always been the anchor for McLaughlin-Levrone, and the New Balance clan has become an extension of her own.
The athlete’s relationship with the brand began when she competed in, and dominated, the New Balance Nationals — the premiere high school track-and-field race — for four years in a row. After running in college for a year at the University of Kentucky, she went pro in 2018, and a formal deal with the label quickly followed.
“Sydney represents the intersection of purpose, performance and independence that reflects the ambition of New Balance,” said Chris Davis, global brand president and chief marketing officer at his family’s business. “She moves seamlessly across both performance and lifestyle. This balance is authentic to both her interests and personality. We are building with her in a way that fully reflects New Balance, where technical excellence and cultural relevance are equally defining.”
The pair unveiled the runner’s first signature collection of shoes and apparel in 2021, right after that first gold medal in Tokyo. Three years later, ahead of the Paris Games, McLaughlin-Levrone got into a groove with a second signature line of performance and lifestyle footwear, as well as leggings and joggers, a hoodie and a jacket.
“In 2021, we were trying to figure out our stride in terms of my style, how I wanted to represent myself. It probably wasn’t my best work, to be honest,” she said. “But I was really excited about the one in 2024. All of the neutral tones speak to me and my style. It’s quiet and elevated. It’s always fun to get in the lab and create what we’re going for. I’m a refiner. My husband is also super creative. He’s more of an original idea person. I love to talk to him through the process and create together,” she said, hinting at a new signature collection to come later this year.
McLaughlin-Levrone — who also has partnered with brands ranging from Tag Heuer and David Yurman to Band-Aid and Gatorade — describes her overall style as “minimalist” and “sophisticated.” “I’m not super loud. I’m quality in a sleek way,” she said.
And when it comes to race-day ’fits, comfort is her top priority. “I don’t want to be thinking about what I have on. I don’t want any distractions, things being too loose or tight. All those details matter,” she said.
While spikes are the go-to in competition, for training, the athlete has long been drawn to the New Balance FuelCell Rebel — which is featured both in this shoot and in her own 2024 collection.
“I want something that’s going to help me feel fast and light but also take the pounding of daily training,” she said. “The Rebel is a consistent source of that. I’ve loved giving feedback to figure out how we can make it better. It’s been cool to see all the innovations over the years and how it’s evolved and changed with time.”
What’s also developed is the athlete’s role as a trusted mentor to up-and-coming track stars.
“It’s crazy because I thought I was the next generation,” she joked. “There’s so much talent that’s coming out of high school and college right now. It’s cool to see that. I’m sure it’s the same way certain people were watching me at that age. I love getting to talk to them and share any sort of wisdom or advice, or answer questions I can be helpful with. These kids are getting so fast. I’m not going to lie, it’s kind of scary. It’s also really cool to see the opportunities they have to work with brands like New Balance.”
McLaughlin-Levrone has been candid about her own challenges growing up in the social media age. She understands firsthand the pressures that young athletes can face as they navigate early success.
“It’s a balance. You’re still so young. I get concerned about the level of immersion these young athletes have in social media and brand deals, and the swiftness with which they launch into these things at a very young age,” she said. “It’s great, but at the same time, for longevity’s sake as well as the quality of your brand, I think you have to take it slow and make wise decisions. Don’t jump at every opportunity that comes. Even on the track, if you want to have a long career, you don’t have to rush the process.”
Did teenage Sydney ever find herself rushing the process?
“There were moments I wanted to,” she admitted. “I’m grateful I had people around me to pull me back and have honest conversations. But you get excited, you see the opportunities and you want them yourself. That’s where a support system that keeps you grounded is super helpful.”
A Golden Record
From Rio to Tokyo to Paris, the athlete’s evolution at the Olympic Games has been dramatic.
In Rio, the runner was an anxious up-and-comer, the youngest American track-and-field Olympian since 1972.
By the time she got to Tokyo in 2021, it was a much different story. With a newfound sense of confidence, she knew she was on the cusp of something big. Her fearlessness was on full display when she won her first gold medal in a near-empty stadium during the pandemic Olympics. But it wasn’t easy — her family and then-boyfriend couldn’t travel to cheer her on due to the tight restrictions in place.
Three years later, McLaughlin-Levrone was locked in when she hit the track in Paris, a showing that solidified her status as a generational athlete in the sport. It was there that she shattered her own 400-meter hurdles world record once again, finishing in 50.37 seconds. In a true tour de force, the sprinter also helped lead the American women’s 4 x 400-meter relay team to gold.
“Track can feel individual, but in moments like that, where you have people to lean on, you take it very seriously. Everyone on that team was very professional, they did their jobs and they did them well,” she said of her teammates, which included fellow New Balance athlete Gabby Thomas, Shamier Little and Alexis Holmes. “Paris was a really big moment,” she said.
In 2025, McLaughlin-Levrone defied expectations again when she broke the American record in the 400-meter flat. It was a fresh challenge for the ambitious athlete — and she rose to the occasion.
“I’m grateful for where my career has taken me at this point. And I think that’s why we felt so comfortable taking this next [step] in stride,” she said of her pregnancy. “For a lot of my life, track was the main focus. That has shifted to a different place. I’m just enjoying this season for what it is.”
In the back of her mind is the 2028 Summer Olympic Games, which will take place on her home turf. “Every U.S. athlete [wants to] put on a show for the home crowd,” she said. “Everyone’s just super excited to have storylines to follow. There are a lot of characters.”
Once centered around performance, the sport is now shaping culture in a pivotal way, according to Davis.
“What was a niche sport is now a platform for identity, creativity and a personal fitness narrative. That shift is redefining who participates and why running is culturally relevant. Sydney sits at the center of that evolution,” the executive said.
As her own evolution continues, McLaughlin-Levrone said that, for now, she’s focused on a healthy delivery and plans to give her body time
to bounce back.
She’s already sought the advice of other mothers who have returned to competition, including Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, the legendary Jamaican sprinter. “She had an amazing career, had her son and then came back. I talked to her about how she did it and what she would do differently. It’s a unique situation to be in,” McLaughlin-Levrone said.
Another huge force in the sport — and her Tokyo relay teammate Allyson Felix, 40 — recently revealed plans to come out of retirement ahead of the L.A. Games after having two children.
“It’s going to be a challenge for her, [the same way] it probably is going to be for me. But it makes the journey, I’m sure, so much sweeter, especially when you have a little face looking at you,” said McLaughlin-Levrone.
The Olympian is looking forward to seeing her own sweet face in the crowd. And there’s no doubt that everyone else will be watching her, too.