The story behind the track in Dallas named after sprinter Sha’carri Richardson

A track in the Dallas neighborhood where Sha’Carri Richardson attended elementary, middle, and high school has been named after her. Richardson attended Carter High School, which is one mile south of the track.

The track, located in the John Kincaide Stadium at the Jesse Owens Athletic Complex, will henceforth be known as the “Sha’Carri Richardson Track” following a unanimous vote of the board of the Dallas Independent School District last Thursday.

The 23-year-old runner expressed her gratitude on social media, saying, “This means so much if you from the city, you know the stadium is rooted in memories. I’m literally speechless.”

Lauren Cross, Richardson’s former high school track coach at Carter High School in Oak Cliff, told Fox4 News, “It’s great news. Actually, I think it’s well deserved. Sha’Carri has had the opportunity to run on that track since she was 9 years old.”

“To have the track named after them, it’s just a good representation and example to the younger kids to show to just keep pushing your dreams. Keep working for it and you never know what could happen,” Cross added.

The district website also said naming the track after her serves “as a tribute to Richardson’s remarkable achievements in sports and significant ties to the Dallas community.”

Carter High School alum Richardson won the Texas state 100-meter titles as a sophomore, junior, and senior, as well as the 200-meter titles as a junior and senior, according to Runner’s World. She later became a professional in 2019 after winning the NCAA 100-meter title as a freshman at Louisiana State University.

According to Olympics.com, it is a perfect tribute for the 23-year-old who improved her racing prowess in Dallas, considering she was an eight-time State Champion at Carter High School.

Richardson became one of the fastest women in the world when she finished the 100 meters in 10.65 seconds in August at the World Championships in Budapest.