Trey Cunningham has always been fast. Born and raised in Winfield, Alabama, he grew up with small-town roots and big-league ambition. By the time he reached Florida State University, he was breaking collegiate records and drawing comparisons to legends. In 2024, he made another bold move—coming out as gay—and showed the world that you can be at the top of your sport while being unapologetically true to yourself. But these days, it’s not just his legs doing the talking—it’s his voice.
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When Trey Cunningham dials a number, he’s used to precision. A rhythm. A beat. The starter’s gun cracks, and everything in his world aligns: feet, focus, form. But a few years ago, the dial tone wasn’t followed by the bang of a race—it was followed by something scarier: silence.
“It was the scariest thing I’ve ever done,” he says now, talking about coming out at age 20. And considering the man is professionally employed to fly over hurdles at top speed with global eyes watching, that’s saying something.
Trey Cunningham, 2024’s breakout LGBTQ+ sports icon and certified track-and-field heartthrob, is more than just fast—he’s flying over more than hurdles. He’s vaulting over stereotypes, expectations, and perhaps most terrifying of all, the vulnerability of being seen fully.
“There’s something we want to achieve, we say it. Putting something in words makes it real,” he explains, revealing how a technique used in training helped fuel his personal courage. Coming out, for him, wasn’t just a declaration—it was a sprint toward wholeness.
And baby, he is running.
@grandslamtrack That’s a PB and $100,000k for Trey Cunningham !!
This past weekend in Miami, Cunningham didn’t just show up—he shut it down. He took home the top spot in the 110-meter hurdles at the Grand Slam Track meet with a personal best of 13.00 seconds. Then he decided, why not? Let’s win the 100-meter sprint too. Another personal best. “OK, I just won both of the events. I won the 110-meter hurdles with a PB and then I also PBed in the 100. So, I’m a sprinter too,” he deadpanned post-race, clearly delighted with himself—and frankly, who could blame him?
In a sport that sometimes feels like it’s sponsored by beige compression gear and underwhelming post-race interviews, Cunningham brings color. Not just in identity, but in style, in wit, in joy. On Instagram, Grand Slam Track teased, “Is Trey Cunningham track’s new lover boy?”—to which we say: absolutely, and don’t stop asking.
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He’s playful, but not performative. After all, this is someone who’s earned the right to blow a few kisses after a win—literally and figuratively. “Trey Cunningham is a smoke show,” wrote one fan. Look, we’re not here to objectify athletes, but also… have you seen the man in a tracksuit?
Still, his beauty is only skin-deep if you stop looking there. What makes Cunningham shine is that he’s doing something revolutionary in spikes and lane lines: he’s being completely himself. In a world where coming out can still feel like a career risk—especially in men’s sports—he’s flipping the narrative faster than his 13-second hurdle split.
And while that $100,000 from Miami is nice (we assume—Trey, brunch is on you?), the real win is in his visibility. He’s not just competing at the highest level, he’s redefining what it means to be at the top: powerful, unflinching, and unapologetically queer.
From Ford model to hurdling phenom to certified Lover Boy of track and field, Trey Cunningham isn’t just running races—he’s running the show.
So here’s to saying it out loud, blowing kisses at the finish line, and sprinting like you’ve got nothing to hide.
What kind of representation in sports has mattered most to you?
Source: OutSports
Way boy cute!!
From one high hurdler to another: Awesome!
Awesomeness !! Way to go. Definitely need more like you representing the LGBTQ+ community. Thank you for being you
Congratulations Trey!!! We need more like you.