sbeefyk2 wrote:
As a former hurdler, and anyone who ran the hurdles (and was good) would agree, for a good hurdler, it doesn’t take much additional energy. The hurdles are 36 inches. For tall athletes they just lift their lead leg up a fraction of an inch higher than a normal stride and wrap the trail leg around, again a fraction higher than a normal stride . I’m 5’8 so I actually had to use some extra energy as 36 inch hurdles are right at my hip.
I’m not saying you don’t lose any time from flat to hurdles, but a tall guy like Karston is not using much additional energy on the hurdles. It’s pretty close to a flat for him.
I too am a former hurdler, and not to be rude, but that is not at all how hurdling works. Energy isn't the big difference between hurdle and flat races, it's rhythm. It's stride pattern. You have to approach the hurdle at a comfortable distance (can't be too close, can't be too far away, don't want to stutter or lunge), you don't just run as fast as you can and lift your leg up slightly higher. And on top of having to measure your distance from the hurdle, you are also trying to get there on your preferred leg, which means the calculations start as soon as you come off the prior hurdle, subconsciously knowing that you have to stretch or snip your stride just a hair to 13-step or 15-step or whatever the plan is. Also, mentally, it is much different running toward a waist-high target 35m away as opposed to running toward a line on the ground that is hundreds of meters away and doesn't require any physical modifications (you're just supposed to be dead upon arrival).
All athletic feats are complex, it's amazing what the brain does without us realizing it, but I think it is the difference in complexities that often makes it difficult for intermediate hurdlers to run great flat times. A hurdle race is like 11 tiny races linked together. Also, obviously, just lack of repetitions. If Warholm and Benjamin (and McLaughlin and Muhammad and Bol) were to go Ashton Eaton and try a different event for a whole season, I'm positive each would improve their flat PRs. Every race has an internal tempo to it, and the tempo of a 200 or 400 is much different to that of a hurdle race.