110 Metres Hurdles

The 110m hurdles is a men’s event that involves clearing 10 hurdles spaced at set distances along a straight 110-metre track. The goal is to sprint from the start line to the finish line in the shortest time possible.

• Created in England in the 1830s, the earliest form of this athletics hurdles event featured wooden barriers placed along a track

• The distance was extended to 120 yards by the universities of Oxford and Cambridge

• The current distance of 110 metres was established by the French in 1888

• The 110m hurdles has been contested at every modern Olympics since the inaugural Games in 1896

• The women’s version of this event is the 100m hurdles

110m hurdles world record

Men’s 110m hurdles world record

The first recognised 110m hurdles world record was 15.0 seconds. It was set by Forrest Smithson of the United States in 1908. It took 12 years for another competitor to beat Smithson’s record. He was finally dethroned by Earl Thomson of Canada, who completed the hurdles in 14.8 seconds in 1920.

The next notable advancement was made by another Forrest. Forrest Towns of USA set three consecutive records in 1936, the third of which was 13.7 seconds. This was the first time somebody had run the 110m hurdles in under 14 seconds. More than four decades later, USA’s Renaldo Nehemiah shaved another 0.77 seconds off the world record. He cleared all 10 hurdles in just 12.93 seconds in 1981.

In recent years, US athletes have dominated in the sport and topped the world rankings. This includes decorated athletes like Grant Holloway, Allen Johnson and Aries Merritt.

Today, the men’s 110m hurdles world record is held by Merritt. He ran a time of 12.80 seconds at the 2012 Diamond League final. This makes him the fastest 110m hurdles athlete of all time.

110m hurdlers

The world of 110m hurdles is filled with outstanding athletes. Among the most remarkable is Colin Jackson (Great Britain). The only Briton to achieve a world record in this discipline, Jackson’s 110m hurdles performances helped him earn his place in the history books.

Jackson set his record (12.91 seconds) at the 1993 World Championships. It took more than 10 years for his time to be beaten. On top of this, he was the undefeated European champion between 1990 and 2002, he claimed silver at the 1988 Olympics, and he won a further world title in 1999.

Like Jackson, Liu Xiang is the only Chinese athlete to achieve a world record for the 110m hurdles. The Olympic gold medallist (2004) and world champion (2007) set two consecutive records: 12.91 in 2004 and 12.88 in 2006. He was the event’s greatest athlete until 2008, when Dayron Robles (Cuba) beat his time by 0.01 seconds.

In the history of the 110m hurdles, one nation has outperformed the rest: the USA. They snared 18 gold medals across the first 23 editions of the Olympics, including two apiece for Lee Calhoun and Roger Kingdom. However, their progress has slowed in recent years. The USA claimed one solitary gold between 2000 and 2021.

110m hurdles technique

Athletes who compete in the 110m hurdles must possess speed, agility and precision. They must also master the sprinting hurdles technique, which includes:

• A precisely-timed start

• A powerful approach to the first hurdle

• Clearing all 10 hurdles

• Sprinting and maintaining pace between hurdles

Let’s take a closer look at the 110m hurdles technique.

The start of the 110m hurdles is fast, precise and explosive. The athletes must generate maximum power and accelerate from the starting block towards the first hurdle. Top-performing male hurdlers like Aries Merritt and Liu Xiang complete this initial 13.72m sprint in seven steps.

The athlete aims to reach full speed by the time he approaches the first hurdle. To do this, he must maintain a strong, upright posture and focus on his stride pattern.

Clearing the hurdles efficiently is a crucial aspect of the 110m hurdles technique. The competitor leads with his dominant leg, extending it straight over the hurdle while bending the back leg towards his body. The lead leg passes over the hurdle with minimal clearance, helping the athlete to maintain his momentum.

Sprinting between hurdles requires a consistent rhythm. Each space measures 9.14m and most hurdlers take three steps between each hurdle.

The 110m hurdles ends with the final sprinting technique. The athlete clears the 10th hurdle and he must sprint the last 14.02m to the finish line. These events are often decided by fractions of a second and a strong finish can mean the difference between victory and defeat.