In the track event hurdles, the aim is to complete a course of hurdles, usually 100m in distance for a standard women's sprint race, with the fastest time possible whilst avoiding knocking down or hitting any hurdles. Although hitting or knocking down a hurdle does not carry any penalty, it slows the runner and interrupts their rhythm, and could ultimately be the difference between winning and losing. When training for a hurdles event, it is crucial to have an even running tempo, so that the number of steps between hurdles can be calculated. If the hurdler 'stutter-steps', or takes a series of smaller steps in the approach, she will lose momentum, and therefore the 'take-off' speed after the hurdle will be slower, and the race ultimately lost. The average 'take-off' distance is 6 - 7 feet from the base of the hurdles. By taking off a long way in front of the hurdles, it is possible to obtain a large range, whilst maintaining a low vertical height. The hurdler lands approximately three feet (1 metre) beyond the hurdle, so maximum height must be reached prior to clearing the hurdle. This also ensures a faster take-off time, as there is less time in the air, where there is not horizontal velocity gained. The average time in a women's 100m sprint hurdle is 15-16 seconds, relatively fast considering the person has to clear ten objects all over a metre in height! The world record for the women's hurdles is a speedy 12.21 seconds, set in 1988 - that's the equivalent of traveling at 8.19 ms-1, or 29.48 km/h - only 1.72 seconds slower than the straight 100m sprint race. - This is part of a formative assignment I did on the Physics of hurdling, with a focus on the 100m hurdle, within the topic of projectile motion. Hope it helps!! Bec xo
Chat with our AI personalities