Why Men’s Hurdles at World Athletics Championships Are 110m & Women’s Are 100m

The track and field events of the Tokyo World Championships are fully in their stride, with a number of medals having already been clinched. With multiple events taking place simultaneously within the Japan National Stadium, the track and field showcase often presents a circus-like spectacle, as events take place on track, the central field, as well around the running track’s perimeter.

There are also endurance and sprint races to consider, as well as those with unique additions to test the agility of its competitors. One such example of the latter is the hurdles. The men’s 110m hurdles has been a staple of the Olympic schedule since the very first Games in 1896. The women’s first hurdles event, held over 80m, made its debut at the 1932 Games in Los Angeles. The distance would increase from 80m to 100m for the first time at the 1972 Games and remains the international standard for the women’s hurdles today.

With the women’s 100m hurdles concluding yesterday with a shock gold medal for Swiss outsider, Ditaji Kambundji, viewers once more pondered over a difference between the men’s and women’s editions: why do women run 100m hurdles while men run a slightly longer distance of 110m?

While the women’s 100m hurdles champion has been crowned, the men’s 110m hurdles are currently at the semi-finals stage. The semi-finals will take place today, with the men’s final set for tomorrow. Unlike other track events at the championships, it opens the floor for an interesting discussion about the differing distances between the men’s and women’s hurdles. But as is often the case, science provides an explanation behind this distinction in the popular track event.

Science Plays Role in 100m Hurdles vs 110m Hurdles

Biology is the key factor in the difference between the men’s and women’s hurdles. And in the end, it comes down to how athletes maintain their high speed when running. As men tend to be larger than women in both height and stride, the length of the men’s race is designed in consideration of these characteristics.

“The men’s 110m hurdles was standardised in line with the average height and stride with male hurdles,” said international governing body World Athletics. “Whereas, the women’s 100m hurdles event is a shorter distance in order to accommodate for the average height and stride of female athletes.”

The Size of Hurdles in Men & Women Races

These biological considerations have also influenced the differences between the men’s and women’s hurdles in more ways than one. Beyond the length of the track, the hurdles themselves are different in height. Women’s hurdles stand at 83.8cm, compared to 1.067m for the men’s.

The reasons for the height difference, according to scientists, are relatively complex. Investigations into the biometrics of high-performing male and female hurdlers reveals that the height difference accounts for two key criteria: gathering and maintaining speed when crossing a hurdle but also not restricting speed during the recovery phase after clearing a hurdle and preparing for the next. It seemingly ensures that both men and women can perform to the best of their athletic abilities in their respective events.

The history of hurdle racing can be traced back to the 1830s. For men, the sport was established in the 1800s by the prestigious Oxford and Cambridge universities. The courses were originally 120 yards, which equates to 109.7m. The barriers back then were 42 inches high, matching the 1.067m hurdle height maintained today for the men’s event. The French, however, implemented the standardised 110m distance in 1888, just eight years before its Olympic debut.