Changing The Performnce Parametres for Female Sprint and 400M Hurdles and Male Sprint Hurdlers

Judy Vernon

FEMALE SPRINT HURDLES
The event of female sprint hurdling currently calls for the female athlete to hurdle over ten hurdles at the distance of 100 metres, with an approach of 13 metres to the first hurdle and 8.50 metres in between the remaining nine hurdles. The height of the hurdle is 84.0 cm. A new event for female sprint hurdlers would call for the height of the hurdle to be increased to 91.4 cm. I am personally in favour of this change of height. I believe that the current height of hurdle caters for an athlete of more pure speed and less technical expertise. Changing the hurdle height to 91.4 cm would require the female sprint hurdler to increase her hurdling skills, and make the event a more challenging and technically advanced race.

I do not think that changing the hurdle height would lead to a shortage of female sprint hurdlers. I myself took part in an experimental 100 metre hurdle race in 1972 (yes, nearly 30 years ago!) over 91.4 cm hurdles and enjoyed running over this height of hurdle. There have also been, more recently in the past 10 years, some experimental indoor 60 metre hurdle races run at Crystal Palace, over the 91.4 cm hurdles and these races proved popular. Female sprint hurdlers are an adaptable lot and if some hurdlers do disappear with the introduction of the new event, new hurdlers would soon take their place. After all, did we suddenly have a shortage of female sprint hurdlers when the event changed in 1968 from 80 metre hurdles to 100 metre hurdles?

The idea that the spacing between the hurdles should be changed to a greater distance than 8.50 cm has been suggested to me. After all, one sprint hurdle coach told me, a higher hurdle would mean a longer flight path over the hurdle and thus would mean there would not be enough room to run 3 strides in between the hurdles. I argue that I have run this race myself and found the spacing to be fine. Currently the male U 17 sprint hurdlers in Great Britain run over a 91.4 cm hurdle set at the spacing of 8.50 metres and seem to negotiate the hurdles perfectly well. Sprint hurdles races have the same parameters for all hurdlers, regardless of their height, their speed, and their strength. Sprint hurdlers must be prepared to adapt to the race, as few athletes have the ‘perfect’ physical attributes to run the race without any adjustments. Perhaps however, ideas for changing the spacing should be put forward and tested on the track. Experimental races would help to determine the ideal spacing.

I would submit however that the new event is available to the age groups of U/23 and upwards, and that the current event remains for the U/20 age group, both at national and international level. Keeping the current height for the U/20 age group allows for the U/20 female sprint hurdler to progressively improve both her strength and conditioning base, along with her technical skills and would allow her to negotiate the new hurdle height with competence.

FEMALE 400 METRE HURDLES
I also believe that the height of 400 metre hurdling for women could be raised from the current height of 76.2 cm to 84 cm. My argument for this advance in height is that the lower hurdle height allows many women of sufficient height and speed, but not of sound hurdling skill to excel at this event. The new height would open the event to female hurdlers who are prepared to be technically skilled enough to negotiate the 10 barriers.
Again however I would suggest that the current height of hurdle remains for the U/20 age group, both nationally and internationally, for the same reasons as outlined above in the 100 metre hurdles suggestions.

U/20 MALE SPRINT HURDLES
I submit that the event of 110 metre hurdles for the U/20 age group should be reviewed. Currently the U/20 male sprint hurdlers compete internationally over the same height hurdle as the senior hurdlers, a height of 106.7 cm. There is I believe a case to offer the U/20 male hurdlers an opportunity to compete internationally over the lower height of 99 cm hurdles. If we follow the line of reasoning to keep the 100 metre hurdle height for the female U/20 to the current 84 cm then surely the same line of reasoning should be extended to the male U/20 sprint hurdlers. Indeed, young male athletes have a longer and later growth span than female athletes. Currently U/20 male sprint hurdlers in Great Britain can run the 110 hurdle race at 99 cm in county championships, area championships and National Junior League races. I believe this height should be extended to the National U/20 Championships and also to international competitions. It is a great leap for current U/17 male sprint hurdlers to move to 110 metre hurdles at 106.7 cm from 100 metre hurdles at 91.4 cm. Keeping the hurdle height at 99 cm, especially at national and international competitions, would encourage more young men to stick to sprint hurdling, improve their strength, speed and skill and then move into the 110 metre hurdles race at 106.7 cm at the U/23 age group.

Judy Vernon

Level four hurdles coach

Great Britain