50 metres hurdles explained

50 metres hurdles is a distance in hurdling, usually only run in indoor competitions. Because very few contests are held over the distance, most of the fastest times recorded for the event were set during specially measured and timed races over longer distances, typically the 55 metres hurdles or 60 metres hurdles.

All-time top 25

Note: Indoor results only.

• + = Timed recorded by athlete en route to a longer distance
• A = affected by altitude

Men

• Correct as of August 2018.^[1]

Rank	Time	Athlete	Nation	Date	Place	Ref
1	6.25			5 March 1986	Kobe
2	6.35	Greg Foster		27 January 1985	Rosemont
				31 January 1987	Ottawa
3	6.36			3 February 1979	Edmonton
	6.36+			21 February 1999	Liévin
	6.36+			13 February 2000	Liévin
	6.36+			26 February 2005	Liévin
7	6.37+			13 February 2000	Liévin
8	6.39+			21 February 2008	Stockholm
9	6.40			5 February 1999	Budapest
	6.40+			26 February 2005	Liévin
	6.40+			10 February 2009	Liévin
12	6.41	Igor Kovác		15 February 1992	Prague
	6.41 A	Mark Crear		10 February 1995	Reno
14	6.42+	Yoel Hernández		13 February 2000	Liévin
15	6.43	Reggie Torian		13 February 1999	Los Angeles
16	6.44+	Xiang Liu		28 February 2004	Liévin
		Evgeniy Borisov		10 February 2009	Liévin
18	6.45	Thomas Munkelt		10 February 1979	Ottawa
		Tonie Campbell		14 March 1987	Kobe
		Terrence Trammell		28 January 2012	New York City
21	6.46	Frank Siebeck		3 February 1974	Berlin
		Sam Turner		9 March 1985	Kobe
		Robert Kronberg		4 March 2001	Sindelfingen
	6.46+	Courtney Hawkins		21 February 1999	Liévin
		Stanislavs Olijars		23 February 2003	Liévin

Notes

Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 6.39:

• Greg Foster also ran 6.37 (1986).
• Renaldo Nehemiah also ran 6.38 (1979).
• Mark McKoy also ran 6.38 (1986), 6.39 (1995).
• Tony Dees also ran 6.38 (1999).
• Anier García also ran 6.39 (2000).

Women

• Correct as of August 2018.^[2]

Rank	Time	Athlete	Nation	Date	Place	Ref
1	6.58			20 February 1988	Berlin
2	6.65			20 February 1988	Berlin
	6.65			7 January 1993	Grenoble
4	6.67 A			10 February 1995	Reno
	6.67+			13 February 2000	Liévin
	6.67+			21 February 2008	Stockholm
7	6.70			5 February 1999	Budapest
	6.70			5 February 1999	Budapest
9	6.73			7 January 1993	Grenoble
	6.73			27 January 1995	Moscow
11	6.74	Anneliese Ehrhardt		4 February 1973	Berlin
		Zofia Bielczyk		21 February 1981	Grenoble
13	6.75	Kristin Patzwahl		5 February 1989	Berlin
	6.75+	Josephine Onyia		21 February 2008	Stockholm
15	6.76	Danuta Perka		11 February 1979	Berlin
	6.76+	Patricia Girard		13 February 2000	Liévin
		Glory Alozie		25 February 2001	Liévin
18	6.77	Grażyna Rabsztyn		11 February 1979	Berlin
		Yordanka Donkova		7 February 1993	Grenoble
20	6.78+	Keturah Anderson		21 February 1999
	6.78	Lolo Jones		28 January 2012	New York City
22	6.80	Maria Kemenchezhi-Merchuk		21 February 1981	Grenoble
	6.80+	Linda Ferga-Khodadin		2 March 2003	Aubière
		Perdita Felicien		28 February 2004	Liévin
		Derval O'Rourke		3 March 2006	Liévin
		Lacena Golding-Clarke		21 February 2008	Stockholm

Notes

Below is a list of other times equal or superior to 6.73:

• Cornelia Oschkenat also ran 6.60 (1988), 6.68 (1988), 6.69 (1989), 6.71 (1986, 1987), 6.73 (1986, 1987).
• Gloria Siebert also ran 6.67 (1988), 6.69 (1988), 6.72 (1990).
• Michelle Freeman also ran 6.69+ (2000), 6.72+ (2001).
• Jackie Joyner-Kersee also ran 6.73 A (1996).

External links

• IAAF list of 50-metres-hurdles records in XML

Notes and References

1. Web site: All-time men's best 50m hurdles. 14 August 2018. IAAF. 14 August 2018.
2. Web site: All-time women's best 50m hurdles. 14 August 2018. IAAF. 14 August 2018.