55 metres hurdles explained

55 metres hurdles is a distance in hurdling, usually only run in indoor competitions. This is more commonly run at the high school level. The objective is to approach the first hurdle with 7 steps, each hurdle after that needs to have 3 step intervals. 5 stepping or commonly known as stutter stepping cuts down a hurdlers momentum and cuts drastic time. 4 stepping is less common, but it is when a hurdler switches their lead leg each hurdle. Unlike outdoor track and field, indoor track usually has no distance hurdles to also run since the typical indoor track is only 160 metres or 200 metres. It is usually an alternative to the 60 metres hurdles.

60 yards hurdles

Before 1987, the 60 yards hurdlesheld over 60ydwas contested at the USA Indoor Track and Field Championships and other high-level American competitions. It was replaced by the 55 m hurdles from 1987 to 1990 before finally being replaced with the 60 m hurdles at the 1991 edition. Because the distances are so similar, a conversion of 0.01 seconds is sometimes applied in statistical lists to convert 60 yd hurdle marks to equivalent 55 m hurdles times.^[1]

All-time top 25

Note: Indoor results only. Hand-timed marks excluded

• + = Timed recorded by athlete en route to a longer distance
• * = Converted from time for the slightly shorter distance of 60 yards by adding 0.01

Men

• Correct as of March 2020.^{[2] [3]}

Rank	Result	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Place	Ref
1	6.83 *	Renaldo Nehemiah		30 January 1982	Dallas
2	6.86 *	Greg Foster		21 February 1986	Los Angeles
3	6.90 *	Mark McKoy		21 February 1986	Los Angeles
4	6.94	Tonie Campbell		2 March 1984	Daly City
		Terrence Trammell		21 February 1999	Gainesville
6	6.96 *	Willie Gault		5 February 1983	Dallas
7	6.98	Roger Kingdom		20 January 1989	Los Angeles
		Tony Dees		2 February 1990	New York City
9	6.99	Arthur Blake		2 February 1990	New York City
10	7.01	Stéphane Caristan		27 February 1987	New York City
		Courtney Hawkins		21 January 1995	Boston
	7.01+	David Oliver		11 February 2012	New York City
13	7.02+	Aries Merritt		11 February 2012	New York City
14	7.03	Allen Johnson		22 January 1994	Johnson City
		Ron Bramlett		10 February 2002	Gainesville
16	7.04	Jack Pierce		10 February 1989	East Rutherford
		Kurt Powdar		26 January 2019	New York
18	7.05	Shamar Sands		24 January 2009	Gainesville
		Omo Osaghae		14 February 2014	Lubbock
20	7.07	Sansiski Daniels		4 March 1987	Fayetteville
		Reggie Torian		23 February 1997	Iowa City
22	7.08	Cletus Clark		28 January 1989	Houston
		Li Tong		8 March 1991	Indianapolis
		Tony Reese		11 February 1995	Fairfax
		Ladji Doucouré		11 January 2014	Columbia
	7.08 A	Larry Wade		14 February 1998	Colorado Springs

Women

• Correct as of March 2020.^{[4] [5]}

Rank	Result	Athlete	Nationality	Date	Place	Ref
1	7.30 A	Tiffany Lott-Hogan		22 February 1997	Colorado Springs
2	7.34	Michelle Freeman		22 February 1992	Gainesville
	7.34 A	Trecia Roberts		14 February 1998	Air Force Academy
4	7.37 *	Stephanie Hightower		25 February 1983	New York
	7.37	Cornelia Oschkenat		27 February 1987	New York
		Jackie Joyner-Kersee		3 February 1989	New York
		Kim Carson		7 February 1998
	7.37 A	Lacena Golding-Clarke		14 February 1998	Air Force Academy
	7.37	Kellie Wells		30 January 2011	Gainesville
	7.37 +	Kristi Castlin		11 February 2012	New York
11	7.38 +	Tiffany Porter		11 February 2012	New York
	7.38 *	Candy Young		12 February 1982	New York
13	7.39	Kim McKenzie		24 February 1989	New York
14	7.40	Julie Baumann		26 February 1988	New York
15	7.41	LaVonna Martin-Floreal		26 February 1988	New York
		Angie Vaughn		14 March 1998	Indianapolis
17	7.44	Yordanka Donkova		27 February 1987	New York
		Lynda Tolbert-Goode		9 March 1990	Indianapolis
19	7.45 *	Rhonda Blanford		23 February 1985	Lincoln
20	7.46 A	Astia Walker		6 February 1998	Colorado Springs
	7.46 +	Tonea Marshall		13 March 2016	New York
22	7.47	Tananjalyn Stanley-Boutte		11 March 1989	Indianapolis
		Andria King		14 March 1998	Indianapolis
		Astia Walker		14 March 1998	Indianapolis
		Damu Cherry-Mitchell		30 January 2010	Gainesville
26	7.48	Gillian Russell-Love		4 February 1995	Fairfax
		Joanna Hayes		7 March 1997	Indianapolis
		Angela Whyte		21 February 2003	Salt Lake City
	7.48 +	Tia Jones		11 March 2018	New York

Season's bests

Men

Rank	Mark	Athlete	Place
2016	7.13 A		Laramie
2017	7.31 A		Laramie

Women

Rank	Mark	Athlete	Place
2016	7.79		Hampton
2017

Notes

Notes and References

1. Web site: 60-YARD LOW HURDLES WORLD RECORD BETTERED BY HUSKERS' GARDNER . Joplin Globe . 14 August 2024 . 7 . 22 Feb 1958.
2. Web site: IAAF: 55 Metres Hurdles - men - senior - indoor - iaaf.org. iaaf.org.
3. Web site: WORLD INDOOR ALL-TIME LIST — MEN. Track and Field News. 4 March 2020. 23 March 2020.
4. Web site: All-time women's best 55m hurdles. Track and Field News. 4 March 2020. 23 March 2020.
5. Web site: IAAF: 55 Metres Hurdles - women - senior - indoor - iaaf.org. iaaf.org.