The Importance Of A Hurdler's Speed, And Indicators Of Efficiency

Jan 06, 2021

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By Robert Marchetti - Coaching Corner

Note: This article is among a series of in-depth pieces written by Marchetti aimed at informing coaches and athletes about technique and procedure in track and field events.

You can check out the full series here.

The girls 100m hurdles and the boys 110m hurdles have ten barriers. The girls hurdles are spaced 8.50 meters apart and boys are spaced 9.14 meters apart. Within a full flight of 10 hurdles, then, there are nine total spaces, or running zones.

When using a "3-step" hurdle method, the athlete actually contacts the ground four times between each barrier. Four contacts at 9 spaces (zones) equates to 36 ground contacts total. Most hurdlers use eight steps to the first hurdle as well. Therefore, nearly every hurdler uses the same amount of steps in a race up to the last hurdle. Yet some hurdlers gain a big lead over others.

How?

One of the most significant contributors to a better time is how well the hurdler sprints in the zones between the hurdle...