What is the distance of the women's 100m hurdles race?

The distance of the women’s 100 m hurdles race is 100 meters. Athletes run that straight-line distance while clearing ten hurdles placed along the track.

In the standard layout, the first hurdle is 13 meters from the starting line. The nine gaps between hurdles are each 8.5 meters, and the final hurdle stands 10.5 meters from the finish. Women’s hurdles are 83.8 centimeters high in senior competition. The spacing forces athletes to maintain a precise rhythm, traditionally using three strides between barriers.

The event was not always 100 meters. Women’s hurdles developed from earlier races with varying distances, and the Olympic women’s event was 80 meters from 1932 through 1968. It became a 100 m event beginning with the 1972 Olympics.

The main mix-up is with the men’s 110 m hurdles, which uses a longer course and hurdles set farther from the start and finish. The hurdle itself does not add distance to the race: the marked start-to-finish course remains 100 meters. Knocking down a hurdle is not automatically disqualifying, although deliberately interfering with one can be penalized.