The men’s 110-metre hurdles race is 110 metres long. It is a sprint-hurdling event run down the straight, with athletes racing over 10 hurdles before crossing the finish line.
The first hurdle stands 13.72 metres from the starting line. The nine gaps between hurdles are each 9.14 metres, and the final hurdle is followed by a 14.02-metre run to the finish. Those measurements add up to the full 110-metre course.
The event has Olympic roots reaching back to 1896. Its predecessor was often described in imperial units as the 120-yard hurdles, which helps explain why some historical references mention a distance close to, but not exactly, 110 metres.
The women’s standard sprint-hurdles event is different: it is the 100-metre hurdles. Another common mistake is assuming that knocking down a hurdle automatically disqualifies a runner. Modern hurdles are designed to fall, and contact usually costs time rather than causing automatic disqualification.