Practical track and field athletics

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CHAPTER VIII
.
T
HE
O
NE
H
UNDRED AND
T
WENTY
Y
ARDS
H
IGH
H
URDLE.
Ito
Yards Hurdle, 15
I
-5s., A. C. Kraenzlein, June 18, 1898.
HE high hurdle race is one of the prettiest
and most interesting events of an athletic
meeting. There are ten hurdles, three feet
and six inches in height, and these are
placed ten yards apart, leaving fifteen yards
from the start to the first hurdle and fifteen
yards from the last hurdle to the finish line.
At all well-regulated meetings each com-
petitor has a separate set of hurdles. The
method of hurdling has changed in late
years. The old style of going over the hurdle was to curl the
leading leg in such a manner that from the knee down it would
be almost parallel with the top of the hurdle. The new style
is to curl the leading leg, but slightly, and, in fact, almost
stride across the hurdle. This method gives the long-legged
man a distinct advantage. In training for the high hurdles
the greatest difficulty is found in reaching the first hurdle at
top speed, for it is in this first fifteen yards that sufficient
speed must be developed to carry a man through the full dis-
tance. If he loses here, he is sure to be slow all through.
The start used is the same as the sprinting start, but the.
strides to the first hurdle must be arranged so that the ath-
lete is not too far away from the hurdle or too close to it on
his take-off step. Very often it is necessary to shorten the
first few strides, or to start with the right foot forward in-
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