Neuff Guide to Hurdling

The technical requirements of the hurdles event are to run as fast as possible whilst jumping over barriers in the most efficient way. Hurdling is considered a specialist sprinting event; athletes are expected to be able to start like sprinters, run like sprinters and finish like sprinters. Beginners should take care in this event; there is an increased possibility of injury compared to normal sprinting events. One should practice with smaller hurdles at first before increasing the size of them once more confidence has been gained.

Useful Tips:

• Try to experiment with using either the right leg or left leg to jump over the hurdle. It doesn’t matter whether you’re right footed or left footed; it just depends on which is more natural to use.

• Once the preferred leg is decided upon, you should jump over each hurdle only using that leg (this is called the lead leg).

• The athlete must aim to be flexible at the hips and waist in order to make it easier to jump over each barrier.

• Make sure that the knee is raised at a sufficient height when travelling over each barrier.

• Ensure that the lead leg goes down quickly once the hurdle has been travelled over; to make it ready for the next hurdle.

• Keep the lead leg relatively straight and perpendicular to the rest of the body when using it to travel over hurdles.