Photo above courtesy of Adidas Atlantic City Games
Ohio Northern University alumna Emily Richards, BS ’18, is the first to admit that she wouldn’t be where she is today without ONU. She’s also the first to admit that she never expected to become a professional athlete.
But that’s exactly where life has taken her, as she just wrapped up her eighth year as a professional track and field runner. She is currently running for a team called Atalanta New York City, a non-profit organization that sponsors female athletes.
In August 2025, Emily reached a significant milestone when she finally broke her personal best record in the 800m run. While competing at the 2025 USA Track and Field Outdoor Championships in Eugene, Oregon, she clocked in at 1:59.87—achieving her long-chased dream of running the 800m in under two minutes and becoming the first former D3 female athlete to do so.
“It was more relief than anything,” she described her response to breaking the two-minute barrier. “It’s something I’ve been trying to do for a long time, so it was just like, ‘Oh, finally!’ I had been doing a lot of mental prep, visualizing it and trying to manifest it, so when I finally did, it just felt like everything came together and I was expecting it to happen, which was exciting.”
Emily graduated from ONU in 2018 with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and a minor in multimedia journalism. In addition to professional running, she also does freelance writing for D3 Glory Days, a Division III running multimedia conglomerate.
From the very beginning, Emily’s journey was full of surprising opportunities and barrier-breaking achievements.
“I walked onto campus because I wanted a chemistry degree and I thought, ‘Running is kind of a nice perk, and I like it for fun.’ And, surprisingly, that turned into my career,” she said.
The most decorated athlete in ONU’s history, Emily made the national stage for her track and field feats. Among many achievements, she was a 9-time NCAA Division III national champion and a 13-time All-American during her four seasons at ONU.
She is grateful to the coaching staff at Ohio Northern for helping her “believe that I belonged at a high level” and pushing her to compete as such. She also credits the Division III athletic program for allowing her a much longer running career than many of her Division I counterparts.
“My career at ONU is what allowed me to be a professional runner and to be doing what I’m doing now,” she said. “I definitely wouldn’t be in this position without my time there.”
After graduating from ONU, she began her professional career running for Hoka New Jersey/New York Track Club, where she competed until the COVID pandemic temporarily shut down professional sports in 2020. At that time, she returned to Ada to coach student-athletes at Ohio Northern and continue her personal training.
In 2024, she returned to New York to run for her current sponsor, Atalanta NYC. In addition to running professionally, she and her teammates mentor and coach high school student-athletes in The Bronx as part of Atalanta NYC’s central mission to educate and inspire female athletes to use running and movement in a healthy and lasting way.
Emily enjoys the challenge and thrill of running professionally, which is why she plans to continue her running career for as long as possible.
“I’m still having a lot of fun competing and traveling and trying to be better than I was the previous year, which at this level is harder and harder to do,” she said. “I think that’s the main fuel I have to keep going.”
In retrospect, Emily appreciates her roots as a former Division III college athlete, saying D3 athletes are known for competing because they love it—not for the necessity of an athletic scholarship. “That purpose has been really key in continuing my pro career,” she added.
Emily still stays connected with her friends, former teammates, and coaches at ONU, talking frequently to ONU head track coach Jason Maus. She knows she can always count on her Polar Bear family to cheer her on and support her no matter what—and that makes all the difference.