What Is Hurdles In Athletics?
Hurdles is a race (event) in the sport of Track and Field where the runners have to clear (jump over) barriers (hurdles) while running.
What Are the Different Hurdling Events?
There are two different types of hurdle races for both males and females, one is short and the other is long. The short one, sometimes called sprint hurdles, is 100m for women and girls (100m Hurdles). For men and boys, the race is 110m Hurdles. The long hurdle races, sometimes called distance hurdles, is 400m for men and women. In the U.S., high school hurdlers compete at 300m. Younger athletes sometimes compete at 200m. Below are videos I created
In most cases, there are 10 hurdles in a race. This applies to both sprints hurdle events (100m-110m) and distance hurdle events (400m). Younger athletes competing in 300m hurdles only have 8 hurdles. 200m hurdles has 5 hurdles. 80m hurdles has 8 and 70m hurdles has 7.
What Are the Rules of Hurdling?
The rules are surprisingly simple: Get from the start to the finish as fast as possible while clearing the top of the hurdles. The competitors must also stay in their lanes and cannot touch the hurdles with their upper body. The athlete that crosses the finish line first wins. Hitting the hurdles with their feet and legs is permitted. This is counter-intuitive for novice spectators who assume hitting the hurdles (with your legs) is a penalty. It is permitted because the action is self-penalizing, meaning, it slows the runner down and hurts their rhythm naturally. Therefore, there is no reason to penalize them further.
What Is the Best Hurdle Racing Strategy?
In order to be successful at hurdling, the best strategy is to run as fast as you can and stay low over the hurdle so you can keep your speed. Many beginner hurdlers make the mistake of jumping too high over the hurdle. This action causes the athlete to slow down and it takes too much energy. Better hurdlers try to leap over the hurdle, just skimming the top while wrapping their legs over the hurdle as they clear it. This takes a lot of practice to master.
Another strategy is to take less steps between the hurdles. Taking more and shorter strides is slower than running with natural strides. On the other hand, taking slower, stretched-out steps is also slow. The key is to run as fast as possible while reaching the next hurdle in the fewest steps possible for the individual athlete.
How Many Steps Should I Take Between the Hurdles?
For the sprint hurdles (up to 110m), the goal is to take 8 steps to the first hurdle and three steps between each hurdle. Steps for the distance hurdles (200m-400m) vary greatly between boys, girls, men and women and the length of the race. This video discusses the steps between hurdles.
How Can I Learn to Hurdle?
The best way to learn to hurdle is to take the time to learn the proper techniques of hurdling and then start with short hurdles that are spaced at a distance that is comfortable for you. Here is an instructional video I made to teach athletes how to hurdle:
