110m Hurdles Pacing
How the world's best athletes pace the 110m Hurdles.
The Approach
The 13.72m to H1 sets up the whole race. Elite hurdlers reach the first barrier in roughly 2.40–2.50s using an 8-step approach. A slow approach — even 0.05s — compounds across the remaining 9 hurdles because stride patterns are locked to the 9.14m inter-hurdle spacing.
Aries Merritt's 12.80 WR had a 2.40s touch at H1 and held ~1.00s hurdle units through H5 before any visible slowdown.
Hurdle Unit Rhythm
The "hurdle unit" — takeoff to next takeoff — is how coaches measure this race. Elite men complete each unit in 0.95–1.05s during the first five hurdles. The three-step pattern between hurdles keeps a tight cadence, and the best hurdlers hold it deep into the race. Slowdown typically starts around H6–H7, with the H9→H10 unit running 8–12% slower than the fastest unit.
The Run-In
After H10, there are 14.02m of open sprinting to the line. Elite hurdlers cover it in 1.38–1.45s. Without hurdles to clear, stride length opens up — but this is the end of the race, and fatigue is at its peak. The difference between good and great closers often comes down to how well they hold form through this final segment.