Raising the Hurdles

[sprintblox]

Again, is 2 feet really that much? I don't think it is, others disagree.

If you don't think it is much, try shortening the men's spacing by 2 feet and see what happens.

Why would you think that both men and women can effectively 3-step with the same distance between hurdles?

[Marlow]

The women's hurdle is just too low to hit. The only reason most women fall is because their stride is off, not because they aren't high enough. Men try to stay lower over the hurdle precisely because it is higher (relative to their CoG), so they do tend to scrape it more - Kingdom being the prime example of that.

The '8th hurdle' comment is about how high some women get over the hurdles, especially at the end of the 400H, when they're tired and more afraid of hitting a hurdle. When I ran the 440H, I do believe I would have cleared 48" hurdles at the 9th and 10th, because they sure seemed that high.

[GeorgiaFan1]

Note that at the usatf they are running the junior women at 33"

Women's 400m Hurdles (33 in.)

http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/USAJun ... status.asp

If this is not an error, there will be some surprised young women. The men are still running 36" so it isn't an equality thing.

[kuha]

Re: Raising the Hurdles

I have always thought they should raise boys HS hurdles to the 42' standard and raise womens hurdles to 36' inches? Thoughts

Nope. That's be too high for your AVERAGE HS hurdler (think 17-18 seconds - that's average, not even below average). But I definitely think that the Intl women's hurdles should be 36".

Agree. The 39" height is good--as Marlow says--for "average" HS hurdlers. Speaking personally, the 39" height was a real test; 42" was impossible. The women's height should be 36"

[tandfman]

Note that at the usatf they are running the junior women at 33"

Women's 400m Hurdles (33 in.)

http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/USAJun ... status.asp

If this is not an error, there will be some surprised young women. The men are still running 36" so it isn't an equality thing.

That must be an error.

[paulthefan]

nah, raise them to 45 for the men but keep the women's the same.

[rainy.here]

The average college - all colleges, all hurdlers - 100Her is in the 15-16 seconds range -.

Surely these are not athletes on scholarships. These are mediocre times which would not make it to the finals of the Ontario High School Championships, a meet where Felicien once ran 13.43 and Jessica Zelinka 13.79. Athletes running the times you're talking about are too slow to be on a track team, sorry. :wink:

Christabel Netty (from BC) ran 13.49 last year. She graduates this year. Of course, she and her older sister could both LJ over 6m when they were in grade 9.

[mojo]

Nettey's time was over the 30" hurdles not the 33".

I only got to do 30" 100mH once at a meet in Salem Oregon-what a blast that was! I ran 13.6 (it was a crumbling cinder track but then many of the tracks we ran on back then were! :lol: )

As a 100mH hurdler in HS (14.3) I feel that the hurdles should definitely stay at 33"for Junior age athletes and the spacing should not change either. I would have no objection to high school meets running the hurdles at 30" (although for regular meets I would do 33").

I feel the high school program should be geared to athletes who are not in clubs or training year round.
I would change the 400mH to 300mH for high school meets as well. In club meets I would do regulation heights and distances.

I agree with 110 hedge.

Off topic but Nettey long jumped 6.09 last night.

I coach a girl who is not too far behind her now with a PB of 5.95 (same age). 8-) 8-)

[EZSum]

Haven't you guys watched Stefan Holm on Youtube? I reckon they should raise the men's hurdles to 72".

[cacique]

are you people insane??? I WANT TO LOWER THE MEN"S HURDLES. as it is, the event is for freaks only right now. i'd like to see some more average folks in it.

but yeah, raise both the women's 100 and 400 hurdles.

[dal4018]

The boys were 42-inch until some time around 1940.

I always thought the standard for boys was '33 inches when I was in high school???????