Shuttle hurdle relay (SHR) is a type of a relay race in track and field in which participants jump (sprint) over hurdles. The shuttle hurdle relay is contested at the Drake Relays, Desert Conference Relays,[1] Kansas Relays, Mt. SAC Relays, Penn Relays, Texas Relays, Akron Relays, Alabama Relay, Appalachian Conference Relay, Florida Relays (Gainesville), Knoxville Relay, Long Beach Relay, Ohio Relays,[2] Santa Barbara Relay, So Cal Relays (at College of the Desert),[3] Tennessee Relays (formerly: Dogwood Relays, Sea Ray Relays), Towson Relays, and Tri-State Relays. The SHR was also included at the 2019 IAAF World Relays and 2021 competition.[4] In 2024 was included at the Croatian Relay Championships.
Currently the SHR is referred to as the 4 x 60 hurdles, 4 x 80 hurdles, 4 x 100 hurdles, and 4 x 110 hurdles. In the past the term shuttle hurdle relay was more commonly used.
This events allow four hurdlers to run on the same relay team and has been held both outdoor and indoor. In a shuttle hurdle relay, each of four hurdlers on a team runs the opposite direction from the preceding runner.
The shuttle hurdle relay typically consists of: (a) four hurdlers per relay team – each runs one leg, (b) same sex, (c) each hurdler runs the same hurdle spacing and hurdle heights, (d) two lanes – one up, and one back (e) the first leg starts at the automatic timing line, hence this allows the anchor leg to finish at the "finish line", (f) hurdlers must stay in their own lane, (g) hurdlers are not allowed to touch the hurdles with their hands, (h) depending on the age-group there may be an "exchange zone" (Masters Track and Field does not use an exchange zone), (i) No batons are used for this particular relay, and (j) For Masters Track and Field the youngest person on the relay team dictates the age-bracket (for that particular relay team).
USATF Competition Rules list description for the Open and Masters shuttle hurdle relay competition.[5]
January 1901 a "Hurdle relay race" was included at a meet in Portland, Oregon. No hurdle details are provided.[6]
December 1906 a "hurdle relay race proved a highly exciting contest" at a meet in Vancouver, Canada. No hurdle details are provided.[7]
January 1907 and November 1907 the YMCA in Kansas held an indoor "hurdle relay."[8] [9]
1910–1911: Official Handbook of the Girls' Branch of the Public Schools Athletic League states for the girls hurdle relay "the maximum distance for each runner not to exceed fifty yards; the maximum height for hurdles to be two feet".[10]
June 11, 1910 a girls hurdle relay was held at the Armory in Rochester, New York.[11]
1912 American Physical Review magazine reports a boys SHR at a Dual Athletic Meet between Cambridge High and Latin School vs Rindge Technical School.[12]
A November 1912 announcement for girls in New York - that youth activities would include a "hurdle relay."[13]
1916 an indoor meet in Hawaii held a "300-yard hurdle relay race", which was won by the N.A.C. Club for the youth clubs, and Kalihi for the junior clubs.[14]
May 1917 at the first annual girls' interscholastic meet on Tech Field in Pennsylvania a "Hurdle relay" was competed, with Allegheny 1st, Peabody 2nd, and Latimer third. No hurdle details are provided.[15]
1924 and 1928 British Empire versus the US in the SHR was held at Stamford Bridge, London. July 1924 USA beat British Empire in 61.6 seconds for the 480 yards hurdle relay.[16] 1928: USA beating British Empire in 62 seconds.[17] and.[18]
1926 the SHR was added to the Penn Relays events at the suggestion Lord Burghley (UK's Olympic hurdler).[19]
In April 1938, Oklahoma State set a (then) Kansas Relays meet record in 1:01.6.[20]
March 1953 in California, the SHR was included at the Orange Show Relay and the four-way spike meet (four colleges).[21] [22]
1973 a West German team placed 3rd at the Mt Sac Relays in 59.1.[23]
Masters Track and Field have included the SHR as a standard event at the USATF Masters Outdoor Championships.[24] The competition is eligible for Masters American Records and medals. The oldest athlete that has competed in a SHR is George Roudebush (age 93) when he competed in a 2018 M80 plus SHR race.[25]
The oldest female athletes that have competed in a SHR are Tami Graf (age 85) at the 2021 and Flo Meiler (age 88) at the 2022 USATF Masters Outdoor Championships.[26] [27]
The "high hurdles" are also referred to "sprint hurdles" to separate them from the "long hurdles."
The Shuttle hurdle relay was also included at former relays such as the California Relays, Compton Relays, West Coast Relays,[28] the 1996 Alabama Relays,[29] and the Golden Valley Conference Relays [30] Additional relays include the 1993 European Relays in Portsmouth, England,[31] and July 5, 1981, TAC Relay Championship in Greenvale, New York.[32]
Including a SHR outside of the US and the United Kingdom has been infrequent. August 2007 BAUHAUS-galan (formerly GN Galan) meet in Stockholm, Sweden included the 480 Yard Shuttle Hurdle Relay. USA 53.36 in 1st, Sweden 57.03 in 2nd, and Finland 57.26 in 3rd. The event was well received.[33]
The 1990 Penn Relay included a 880 shuttle hurdle relay.[34]
Oxford versus Cambridge Inter-University competitions included 480 yards hurdles relay (1920 to 1930) and 880 yards low hurdles relay (1926 to 1930).[35]
1920: Inter-varsity: Cambridge versus Oxford: Dec 1920: Oxford beat Cambridge in the SHR. Winning time of 67 2/5 seconds.[36] December 1921 Oxford beat Cambridge in 69 4/5 seconds.[37] December 1922 Oxford beat Cambridge in 67 2/5 seconds.[38]
In the past, a rarely run 4 x 440 yard shuttle hurdle relay was included at some competitions. A height of 36" tall hurdles is used. April 29, 1972 Olivett College (John McGlashen, Charles VanderRoest, Bruce Ritter, and Ron Hobday) beat Cedarville in 3:58.4 for the mile intermediate hurdle at the Tri-State Relays, held at Defiance College.[39] Cedarville College (Cole, Alexander, Perkins, and Gruber) placing second took six seconds off their own school record.[40]
April 1973, Edinboro State at the Akron Invitational Relays, Akron, Ohio broke the record for this event.[41] On April 6, 1974, Occidental College broke the 1973 record in the 4 x 440 yard shuttle hurdle relay in a meet against Whittier College and Pomona-Pitzer.[42] April 17, 1974 Stanford broke Occidental College's record while defeating Skyline College.[43] March 15, 1975 Occidental College gained the record back.[44] April 24, 1976 Mt Sac College broke the record at the Mt. SAC Relays,[45] and on April 23, 1977, Pasadena broke the record at the Mt. SAC Relays.[46] By 1984, Long Beach City College (Jose Davis, Tyrone McCullough, Nelson Rodríguez, and Oswaldo Zea) held the community college 1600 meter intermediate hurdle relay in 3:31.06.[47]
Updated November 2020
| Rank | Time | Team | Nationality | Date | Place | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 52.94 | Jason Richardson Aleec Harris Aries Merritt David Oliver | 25 April 2015 | Des Moines | [48] | |
| 2 | 53.08 | Andrew Riley Ryan Braithwaite Hansle Parchment Greggmar Swift | 25 April 2015 | Des Moines | ||
| 3 | 53.36 | USA Ron Bramlett Anwar Moore David Payne Aries Merritt | 7 August 2007 | Stockholm | ||
| 4 | 53.44y | USA Red David Oliver Joel Brown Aubrey Herring Aries Merritt | 25 April 2008 | Philadelphia | ||
| 5 | 53.62 | ACC All Stars Allen Johnson Steve Brown Terry Reese Duane Ross | 16 May 1998 | Clemson | ||
| 6 | 53.62 | Ronnie Ash Ryan Wilson Spencer Adams Jeff Porter | 25 April 2015 | Des Moines | ||
| 7 | 53.65 | World Express Eddie Lovett Spencer Adams Jarret Eaton Mikel Thomas | 4 April 2015 | Gainesville | ||
| 8 | 53.77 | Jeff Porter Dominic Berger Aries Merritt Ty Akins | 26 April 2014 | Des Moines | ||
| 9 | 53.83 | Jamaica Andrew Riley Deuce Carter Hansle Parchment Stefan Fennell | 26 April 2014 | Des Moines | ||
| 10 | 53.88 | Karamu Flyers Jack Pierce Tony Dees Eric Reid Keith Talley | 1 April 1989 | Tempe | ||
| 11 | 53.93 | Karamu Flyers Jack Pierce Eric Reid Tony Dees Keith Talley | 7 May 1989 | Modesto | ||
| 12 | 54.07y | South Carolina Corey Taylor Fred Townsend Charles Ryan Kenneth Ferguson | 25 April 2003 | Philadelphia | ||
| 13 | 54.10 | Elite 2008 David Oliver Aubrey Herring Joel Brown John McDowell | 5 April 2008 | Gainesville | ||
| 14 | 54.20 | USC Alumni Sam Turner Philip Johnson Milan Stewart Tonie Campbell | 25 April 1982 | Walnut | ||
| 15 | 54.23 | Star Athletics Ryan Braithwaite Selim Nurudeen Roudy Monrose Kemar Hyman | 6 April 2013 | Gainesville | ||
| 16 | 54.30 | Star Athletics | 7 April 2012 | Gainesville | ||
| 17 | 54.35y | East Coast All-Stars Courtney Hawkins Glenn Terry Allen Johnson Jack Pierce | 28 April 1995 | Philadelphia | ||
| 18 | 54.36 | Brooks Beast David Oliver ? Thomas Ryan Wilson Jeff Porter | 6 April 2013 | Gainesville | ||
| 19 | 54.40 | Tennessee Jerome Wilson Anthony Hancock Reggie Towns Willie Gault | 22 May 1981 | Knoxville | .[49] | |
| 20 | 54.41 | Philadelphia Pioneers Wayne Mason Dan Oliver Kerry Bethel Charles Foster | 22 May 1981 | Knoxville | .[50] | |
y = adjusted from the slightly shorter distance of 4 x 120 yards by adding 0.13 seconds
| Rank | Time | Team | Nationality | Date | Place | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 50.50 | USA Blue Brianna Rollins Dawn Harper-Nelson Queen Harrison Kristi Castlin | 24 April 2015 | Des Moines | .[51] | |
| 2 | 50.50 | All Stars White Tiffany Porter Jasmin Stowers Jacquelyn Coward Sharika Nelvis | 24 April 2015 | Des Moines | ||
| 3 | 50.66 | BJPTC Kristi Castlin Brianna Rollins Queen Harrison Tiffany Porter | 5 April 2014 | Gainesville | ||
| 4 | 50.78 | BoogieFast Nia Ali Kristi Castlin Yvette Lewis Queen Harrison | 6 April 2013 | Gainesville | [52] | |
| 5 | 50.93 | USA Red Brianna Rollins Lolo Jones Vashti Thomas Queen Harrison | 25 April 2014 | Des Moines | ||
| 6 | 52.00 | Russia Marina Azyabina Yelena Sinyutina Eva Sokolova Yelizaveta Chernyshova | 5 June 1993 | Portsmouth | .[53] | |
| 7 | 52.01 | Jamaica Shermaine Williams Andrea Bliss Monique Morgan LaToya Greaves | 25 April 2014 | Des Moines | ||
| 8 | 52.07 | Star Athletics Kellie Wells Tenaya Jones LaVonne Idlette Jacquelyn Coward | 5 April 2014 | Gainesville | ||
| 9 | 52.29 | Great Britain / Austria Danielle Carruthers Beate Schrott Tiffany Porter Isabelle Pederson | 6 April 2013 | Gainesville | ||
| 10 | 52.30 | Ukraine Olena Politika Olena Alystrasenko Nadezhda Bodrova Natalya Kolovanova | 5 June 1993 | Portsmouth | .[54] | |
| 11 | 52.32 | Drake Red Janay DeLoach Tenaya Jones Raven Clay Vashti Thomas | 24 April 2015 | Des Moines | ||
| 12 | 52.38 | Star Athletics Damu Mitchell Loreal Smith Tiki James Kellie Wells | 7 April 2012 | Gainesville | ||
| 13 | 52.38 | Star Athletics Jacquelyn Coward Kellie Wells Tenaya Jones LaVonne Idlette | 6 April 2013 | Gainesville | ||
| 14 | 52.50 | Texas A&M Vashti Thomas Gabby Mayo Donique Flemings Natasha Ruddock | 23 April 2010 | Philadelphia | ||
| 15 | 52.50 | Academy Art Jesseka Raymond Briana Stewart Dinesha Bean Julian Purvis | 27 April 2013 | Des Moines | ||
| 16 | 52.59 | BoogieFest Queen Harrison Kristi Castlin Michaylin Golladay Beate Schrott | 7 April 2012 | Gainesville | ||
| 17 | 52.62 | Elite Athletes Christina Manning Sharika Nelvis Raven Clay Cambrya Jones | 4 April 2015 | Gainesville | ||
| 18 | 52.77 | Louisiana State University Tenaya Jones Angel Boyd Jessica Ohanaja Nickiesha Wilson | 25 April 2008 | Philadelphia | ||
| 19 | 52.85 | Illinois Jenny Kallur Camee Williams Susanna Kallur Perdita Felicien | 28 April 2001 | Des Moines | ||
| 20 | 52.87 | Clemson Brianna Rollins Bridgette Owens Kendra Harrison Monique Gracia | 7 April 2012 | Gainesville | ||
Updated November 2024
Track and Field News and USATF websites include current shuttle hurdle relay American Records for the following:
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