55 metres explained

55 metres is a sprint event in track and field. It is a relatively uncommon non-championship event for indoor track and field. The history of the event lies in the 60-yard dash, which is about 5 inches shorter than 55 metres. Since the 1960s almost all countries have used metric measurements for track and field, hence the standard sprint distances for indoor competition have been 50 metres and 60 metres.

The single exception to this was the United States, which continued to use imperial measurements. In the 1980s efforts were made to switch track and field in the United States to use metric measurements and the 55 metres was adopted as a close equivalent to 60 yards. The NCAA Indoor Championships featured the event from 1984 to 1998 and the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships featured the event from 1987 to 1990.[1] [2] [3] Subsequently the 55 metres were dropped from American championships in favour of the international standard of 60 metres. Since the late 1990s there have been very few significant open competitions over 55 metres and the event remains something of a historic anomaly. The distance is still frequently run in junior (below college) meets.

All-time top 25

Indoor results only. Hand-timed results are excluded

The websites of World Athletics[4] and tilastopaja.net[5] are often used to generate lists of top performers. However, the data in these sites is not complete before about 1998 and, as noted above, much of the championship activity in this event (and hence best performances) were before this time. Hence a better source of data is the Track and Field News website.[6]

Men

RankTimeAthleteNationalityDatePlaceRef
15.99 Obadele Thompson22 February 1997Colorado Springs
26.00Lee McRae14 March 1986Oklahoma City
36.02 Leo Myles-Mills22 February 1997Colorado Springs
46.03Sam Graddy14 March 1986Oklahoma City
6.03 Carl Lewis5 February 1983Dallas
6.03Christian Coleman11 February 2023New York City[7]
76.04André Cason9 March 1990Indianapolis
6.04 Ato Boldon1 February 1997Flagstaff
96.05Brian Cooper13 February 1988East Rutherford
6.05 Stanley Floyd31 January 1981Dallas
116.06Tim Harden9 March 1996Indianapolis
Emmit King26 February 1988New York City
Fred Johnson16 March 1985Fargo
6.06 Houston McTear24 February 1978 New York City
6.06 Marcus Brunson20 February 1999Reno
Felix Andam28 February 1998Colorado Springs
Syan Williams14 February 1998Colorado Springs
Keith Williams15 February 1997Colorado Springs
196.07Leonard Scott20 February 1999Gainesville
Ousmane Diarra10 February 1996Ames
Raghib Ismail8 February 1991West Lafayette
Ray Stewart11 March 1989Indianapolis
Ron Brown4 February 1984Dallas
6.07 Obadiah Cooper21 February 1998Flagstaff
256.08Marvin Bracy29 January 2012Gainesville
Michael Green14 March 1992Indianapolis
Phil Epps5 March 1983Dallas
Rod Richardson13 March 1982Pontiac
James Sanford20 February 1981San Diego
6.08 Bernard Williams21 February 1998Colorado Springs

Women

RankTimeAthleteNationalityDatePlaceRef
16.55 Evelyn Ashford26 February 1982New York City
Jeanette Bolden21 February 1986Los Angeles
36.56Gwen Torrence14 March 1987Oklahoma City
46.57 Alice Brown22 February 1985New York City
6.57Aleia Hobbs11 February 2023New York City[8]
66.58Dawn Sowell26 February 1989Baton Rouge
Beatrice Utondu-Okoye11 February 1990Monroe, North Carolina
6.58Tamari Davis11 February 2023New York City[9]
96.60 Chandra Cheeseborough5 February 1983Dallas
106.61Michelle Finn23 February 1990New York City
116.62 Merlene Ottey13 March 1982Cedar Falls, Iowa
Marlies Göhr28 February 1986New York City
6.62Marybeth Sant-Price11 February 2023New York City[10]
146.63Mikiah Brisco11 February 2023New York City[11]
156.64 Lyudmila Storozhkova3 March 1979New York City
6.64Anelia Nuneva27 February 1987New York City
176.65 Florence Griffith8 February 1985Inglewood
Nelli Cooman30 January 1987New York City
6.65Savatheda Fynes8 March 1997Indianapolis
206.66Carlette Guidry10 March 1990Indianapolis
Michelle Freeman30 January 1993Johnson City
226.67 Angela Bailey28 February 1986New York City
6.67Shawnti Jackson29 January 2022New York City[12]
11 February 2023[13]
246.68Chryste Gaines14 March 1992Indianapolis
6.68 Aleisha Latimer19 January 1996Boulder, Colorado
Peta-Gaye Dowdie6 February 1988Colorado Springs
6.68Angela Williams15 March 1998Roxberry Crossing

Season's bests

Men

YearMarkAthletePlace
19786.06 New York City
19796.10 Albuquerque
19806.10 Fort Worth
New York City
19816.05 Dallas
19826.08Pontiac
19836.03 Dallas
19846.07 Johnson City
Dallas
19856.06Fargo
19866.00Oklahoma City
19876.04East Rutherford
19886.05East Rutherford
19896.07Indianapolis
19906.04Indianapolis
19916.07West Lafayette
19926.08Indianapolis
19936.10Johnson City
19946.09Cedar Falls
19956.13Gainesville
19966.06Indianapolis
19975.99 Colorado Springs
19986.06 Colorado Springs
19996.06 Reno
20006.11Gainesville
20016.10Knoxville
20026.14 Reno
20036.10Los Angeles
20046.20Jonesboro
Gainesville
20056.19Lubbock
20066.12Fresno
20076.14Gainesville
20086.10Maysville
20096.17Fresno
20106.20Greencastle
Murfreesboro
20116.09Southern Pines
20126.08Gainesville
20136.16Brea
20146.11Lubbock
20156.09Gainesville
20166.17Cape Girardeau
20176.24Cheney
20186.24Ogden
20196.26State College
20236.03New York City

Women

YearMarkAthletePlace
19786.73 Inglewood
19796.64 New York City
19806.77 New York City
New York City
19816.63 Dallas
19826.55 New York City
19836.56 Los Angeles
19846.63 New York City
19856.57 New York City
19866.55 Los Angeles
19876.56 Oklahoma City
19886.60East Rutherford
19896.58 Baton Rouge
19906.58 Monroe, North Carolina
19916.70Johnson City
19926.66Johnson City
19936.66Johnson City
19946.70Indianapolis
19956.60Johnson City
19966.68 Boulder, Colorado
19976.65Indianapolis
19986.68 Colorado Springs
19996.71Gainesville
20006.69Knoxville
20016.78Gainesville
20026.79Gainesville
20036.73Gainesville
Los Angeles
Gainesville
20046.70Gainesville
20056.74Gainesville
Knoxville
20066.71Gainesville
20076.71Gainesville
20086.80Gainesville
Gainesville
20096.69Gainesville
20106.74Gainesville
20116.81Lubbock
20126.73Columbia
20136.73Gainesville
20146.75Lubbock
20156.75Gainesville
20166.84 Laramie
20176.73 Laramie
20186.73New York City
20196.75 Laramie
20236.57New York City

Notes

Notes and References

  1. Web site: History of NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships. NCAA. 2013.
  2. Web site: History of NCAA Division I Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships. NCAA. 2013.
  3. Web site: USATF Indoor Champions. USATF. 2018.
  4. Web site: 55 Metres Men. World Athletics. 4 April 2020.
  5. Web site: All-time men's best 55m. tilastopaja.net. 4 April 2020.
  6. Web site: T&FN YEARLY & ALL-TIME LISTS. Track and Field News. 4 April 2020.
  7. Web site: 55m Dash en-route Results. Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). 11 February 2023. 26 February 2023.
  8. Web site: 55m Dash en-route Results. Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). 11 February 2023. 26 February 2023.
  9. Web site: 55m Dash en-route Results. Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). 11 February 2023. 26 February 2023.
  10. Web site: 55m Dash en-route Results. Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). 11 February 2023. 26 February 2023.
  11. Web site: 55m Dash en-route Results. Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). 11 February 2023. 26 February 2023.
  12. News: Shawnti Jackson 55m en route Result. milesplit.com. 29 January 2022. 16 March 2022.
  13. Web site: 55m Dash en-route Results. Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). 11 February 2023. 26 February 2023.

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