DARKE COUNTY – In a heartfelt Instagram post, Darke County native Clayton Murphy announced he will be retiring from professional track racing.
The 800-meter runner is well-known for winning gold at the Pan American Games in 2015 bronze medal in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. Following his Olympic debut, Murphy then signed with Nike to run as a professional.
Clayton Murphy is the son of Mark and Melinda Murphy. He was raised in New Madison. He attended Tri-Village High School and began to take part in track and field and cross-country running while there. Murphy broke the OHSAA Division III state record in the 1600-meter run at the 2013 state track meet in Columbus with a time of 4:11.72.
Click here to read all about his running history.
Here is today’s Instagram post from Clayton…
“Today, I’m officially retiring from professional track and field.
I poured everything I had into this sport, and I’m walking away with pride, gratitude, and a heart full of memories.
A decade on the global stage is more than most pros will ever get to experience and I’m so grateful for what every year has taught me.
Thank you to Paul Doyle, Robby Hughes, Coach LaBadie, Coach Salazar, and everyone who had my back along the way. You know who you are and I’m so grateful for you.
To my wife Ari, thank you for being by my side through every single moment. You made me stronger and helped me become a man I’m proud to be.
And to everyone who supported me from the stands or from a screen…whether it was asking for an autograph at Hayward all or commenting on one of my YouTube videos—thank you. The ways I got to interact with fans were one of my favorite parts of our sport.
I might be done running 50s around the track, but I know I’ll always be a part of this sport one way or another. Can’t wait to share with you what’s next!”
