how fast are/were the top hurdlers in a flat 100m/400m?

I'm guessing 9.9-10.0 for the top 110 guys, 44.0-44.2 or so for the 400 ones.

Most of the top hurdles were running them since an early age, and only running hurdles, so it's hard to get an accurate idea.

check out the world champ 4x400 with Edwin Moses. Not very pretty.

I know he was a bit of an anomaly, but back when I was on the officials crew at UF, I watched Terrence Trammel win the SEC indoor championships in both the 55m hurdles and the 55m dash less than an hour apart.

He also has a 100m PR of 10.04. That's pretty damn fast.

http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/united-states/terrence-trammell-133617

Angelo Taylor has a 400m PR of 44.05, and has been a medalist on USA 4x400 teams.

http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/united-states/angelo-taylor-132489

Kerron Clement holds the indoor 400m WR, and has been a medalist on USA 4x400 teams.

http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/united-states/kerron-clement-191727

There was a Jamaican boy who won both 100m and 110h at NCAA's last year I think

Many of the top 400m hurdlers in the 47.00-47.50 range are no faster than 44.50 in a flat quarter. Bershawn Jackson's PR is somewhere around 44.8-44.9 and for a while people were saying he was going to break 47.00.

Angelo Taylor is 44.05 and 47.25.

Ronaldo Nehemiah ran a legendary anchor on the 4x4 at the Penn Relays back in the day. I bet someone knows or recalls the split.

Kevn Young had to be close to Quincy Watts in a flat 400 when they were both in peak shape in Barcelona.

400mh is all about rhythem,

400m flat is all about speed.

A lot of 400mh guys don't run enough open 400's to develop a raceplan in that distance. They never maximize potential.

Goes without saying that a guy like Young had the capability of running in the 43's.

If we compare speed; Allen Johnson had a very decent 200 PB, as well as a 8m+ long jump.

The 110mH I think is a little more variable than the 400mH. Some of the top 110mH guys are quite fast in the 100, obviously capable of running with the top 100m runners in the world, while others would be more like 10.5 open 100m runners.

For example, Xiang probably doesn't have an amazing 100m open time, but he makes up for it by having excellent hurdle technique.

Dayron Robles is another fast hurdler who lacks an elite 100m time. Again, makes up for it with excellent hurdle technique, running closer to his max speed in the 110mH than guys with better leg speed.

Housewyfe wrote:

The 110mH I think is a little more variable than the 400mH. Some of the top 110mH guys are quite fast in the 100, obviously capable of running with the top 100m runners in the world, while others would be more like 10.5 open 100m runners.

For example, Xiang probably doesn't have an amazing 100m open time, but he makes up for it by having excellent hurdle technique.

Dayron Robles is another fast hurdler who lacks an elite 100m time. Again, makes up for it with excellent hurdle technique, running closer to his max speed in the 110mH than guys with better leg speed.

Are there any actual PBs for those guys in the 100m? I can't find any.

Colin Jackson ran 10.29 for 100 and 21.00 for 200, but his 60m time was a more competitive 6.49. Think he ran more of them though.

They would be much faster than 100/400m runners. WRs would be around

9.45 and 42.62

Housewyfe wrote:

The 110mH I think is a little more variable than the 400mH. Some of the top 110mH guys are quite fast in the 100, obviously capable of running with the top 100m runners in the world, while others would be more like 10.5 open 100m runners.

For example, Xiang probably doesn't have an amazing 100m open time, but he makes up for it by having excellent hurdle technique.

Dayron Robles is another fast hurdler who lacks an elite 100m time. Again, makes up for it with excellent hurdle technique, running closer to his max speed in the 110mH than guys with better leg speed.

A world class 110 hurdler doesn't have to be a world class sprinter. Some world class 110 hurdlers were very fast in the 100m like Skeets and Trammel, but most of them are only 10.3/4 100 sprinters. Their lack of raw speed is evidenced by the fact that most of them never run the flat 100m in any significant competition and are almost never in the 4x1 relay pool. In fact, the 110 hurdlers today have less raw speed than they use to. I think it was the mid-90s to late 90s with Allen Johnson and Colin Jackson who were only 10.3 100m sprinters, yet running sub-13 in the 110s that the focus became almost entirely on technique. The steps in between the hurdles is not sprinting, it's recovering from one hurdle, stepping and then preparing for the next hurdle.

Today's 100 hurdlers spend surprising little time on sprint training. While it certainly helps to have raw speed, it is without a doubt not a requirement. Most coaches look for athleticism when selecting hurdlers more so than speed, which is why it’s not uncommon to see 110 hurdles who were jumpers and even decathletes. Btw, the women's 100 hurdles are usually world class sprinters simply because the hurdlers are lower. (much lower)

The 400 hurdles is a different story, you can't become a world class 400 hurdler without being a world class 400m flat sprinter. In most years, if you lined up the top 400 hurdlers, they would also have the fastest 400m PRs. There are a few exceptions where you have more 800m strength type hurdlers, but even those guys are usually still world class 400m sprinters.

Yeppers wrote:

They would be much faster than 100/400m runners. WRs would be around

9.45 and 42.62

1/10

coach wrote:

check out the world champ 4x400 with Edwin Moses. Not very pretty.

Kind of an inane way to put it.

Helsinki WCs, 1983. 45.13 anchor after his teammate had fallen on the third leg. Looks like Moses tried to up too much on the back stretch and tied up over the last 50. No doubt still capable of 44.5, perhaps.

Bet those Ruskies were doped.

Mr. Battery wrote:

Are there any actual PBs for those guys in the 100m? I can't find any.

Dayron Robles has a 100m pr listed of 10.7 from when he was 18. Probably safe to assume he is a bit later in his career due to becoming stronger. 200m pr listed of 22.0 (hand timed)

Couldn't find official results of Liu Xiang, just a wordpress article saying he has run 10.3.

Allen Johnson has a PR of 10.41, which he set at age 28, so would have been set while he was near his peak in the 110mH. Likewise he has a 200m pr of 20.26 set during the peak of his career. Strangely, he was part of the national 4x100 team multiple times, so maybe he just wasn't a great starter but had excellent top end speed? Would fit with the fact that he is of a thinner build:

Gail Devers 10.82, 12.33 - but wasn't she more of a sprinter?