USATF Masters Nationals qualifying standards for men's 110m hurdles by age group. Hurdle heights and spacings are adjusted for masters age groups.
Standards shown by 5-year age group. You compete in the age group matching your age on the first day of competition.
| Age Group | Qualifying Standard |
|---|---|
| M35 | 14.80 |
| M40 | 15.80 |
| M45 | 17.00 |
| M50 | 18.50 |
| M55 | 20.00 |
| M60 | 22.00 |
| M65 | 24.00 |
| M70 | 27.00 |
| Age Group | Qualifying Standard |
|---|---|
| W35 | — |
| W40 | — |
| W45 | — |
| W50 | — |
| W55 | — |
| W60 | — |
| W65 | — |
| W70 | — |
| Age Group | Hurdle Height | Hurdle Spacing | # Hurdles |
|---|---|---|---|
| M35 | 42" (106.7cm) | 9.14m | 10 |
| M40 | 42" (106.7cm) | 9.14m | 10 |
| M45 | 39" (99.1cm) | 9.14m | 10 |
| M50 | 36" (91.4cm) | 9.14m | 10 |
| M55 | 33" (83.8cm) | 9.14m | 10 |
| M60 | 30" (76.2cm) | 9.14m | 10 |
| M65 | 27" (68.6cm) | 9.14m | 10 |
| M70 | 24" (60.9cm) | 9.14m | 10 |
| Athlete | Age Group | Mark | Year | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roger Kingdom | M40 | 13.79 | 2003 | Masters World Best |
| Allen Johnson | M40 | 13.85 | 2011 | |
| Jack Pierce | M55 | 16.17 | 2010 | WMA World Record |
| Mel Lattany | M60 | 17.43 | 2014 |
The progressive reduction in hurdle height across masters age groups is both an opportunity and a technical adjustment. Hurdlers moving into a new age group with lower hurdles should re-calibrate their lead leg action and trail leg sweep to avoid over-clearing.
Masters hurdlers who maintain their 3-stride pattern between hurdles are significantly faster than those forced into 4 strides. Speed maintenance work — acceleration drills and 60–80m rushes — keeps the stride pattern viable into older age groups.
Hip flexor and hamstring flexibility directly limits lead leg clearance efficiency. Daily dynamic stretching and yoga-style hip opening are essential maintenance for masters hurdlers to keep the lead leg snapping through efficiently.
As hurdle heights decrease, the trail leg must adjust from a flat hip-over-hurdle action to an increasingly tight tuck. Practice trail leg drills off low hurdles to engrain correct mechanics for each age group's hurdle height.
Masters 110mH times are highly correlated with 100m speed. A 2–3 session per week sprint program (acceleration work, 60m–80m runs) is as important as hurdle-specific training for masters hurdle improvement.
Hip flexor and groin injuries are the most common masters hurdle injuries. Comprehensive warm-up, eccentric hip flexor strengthening, and avoiding overstriding in hurdle practice dramatically reduce injury risk.
Male masters athletes aged 50–54 (M50 age group) use 36-inch (91.4cm) hurdles for the 110m hurdles. This compares to the standard 42-inch (106.7cm) hurdles used in M35–M39 and M40–M44.
No. Women compete in the 100m hurdles at masters level, not the 110m hurdles. The 110m hurdles is exclusively a men's event. Women's masters hurdle standards can be found on the 100m hurdles page.
Age grading adjusts your hurdle performance based on your age group's hurdle height and spacing, comparing it to the world record for your age group. A 70%+ age grade is considered excellent in masters hurdles.
Absolutely. Former collegiate and open hurdlers often remain highly competitive in masters competition well into their 50s and even 60s. The progressive reduction in hurdle height means the event remains achievable as athletes age.
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