Athletics
400 metres hurdles
Women's 400m hurdles
World records
Men Karsten Warholm 45.94 (2021)
Women Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone 50.37 (2024)
Olympic records
Men Karsten Warholm 45.94 (2021)
Women Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone 50.37 (2024)
World Championship records
Men Alison dos Santos 46.29 (2022)
Women Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone 50.68 (2022)

The 400 metres hurdles is a hurdling event in track and field. The event has been on the Olympic athletics programme since 1900 for men and since 1984 for women.

On a standard outdoor track, 400 metres is the length of the inside lane, once around the stadium. Runners stay in their lanes the entire way after starting out of the blocks and must clear ten hurdles that are evenly spaced around the track. The hurdles are positioned and weighted so that they fall forward if bumped into with sufficient force, to prevent injury to the runners. Although there is no longer any penalty for knocking hurdles over, runners prefer to clear them cleanly, as touching them during the race slows runners down.

The current men's and women's world record holders are Karsten Warholm with 45.94 seconds and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone with 50.37 seconds. Compared to the 400 metres run, the hurdles race takes the men about three seconds longer and the women four seconds longer. Men clear hurdles that are 91.4 centimetres (36 in) high, while women negotiate 76.2 centimetres (30 in) barriers.

The 400 m hurdles was held for both sexes at the inaugural IAAF World Championships in Athletics. The first championship for women came at the 1980 World Championships in Athletics – being held as a one-off due to the lack of a race at the 1980 Summer Olympics.

History

The first awards in a men's 400 m hurdles race were given in 1860 when a race was held in Oxford, England, over a course of 440 yards (402.336 m). While running the course, participants had to clear twelve wooden hurdles, over 100 centimetres tall, that had been spaced in even intervals.

To reduce the risk of injury, somewhat more lightweight constructions were introduced in 1895 that runners could push over. However, until 1935 runners were disqualified if they pushed over more than three hurdles in a race and records were only officially accepted if the runner in question had cleared all hurdles clean and left them all standing.

The 400 m hurdles became an Olympic event at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. At the same time, the race was standardized; thus, virtually identical races could be held and the finish times compared to one other. As a result, the official distance was fixed to 400 metres, or one lap of the stadium, and the number of hurdles was reduced to ten. The official height of the hurdles was set to 91.4 centimetres (36 in). The hurdles are now placed on the course with a run-up to the first hurdle of 45 metres, distance between the hurdles of 35 metres each, and home stretch from the last hurdle to finish line of 40 metres.

The first documented 400 m hurdles race for women took place in 1971. In 1974, the International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF), now known as World Athletics, introduced the event officially as a discipline, with hurdles at the lower height of 76.2 centimetres (30 in). The women's race was not run at the Olympics until the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles where it was first staged with the first Men's World Champion having been crowned the year before at the inaugural World Athletics Championships. A special edition of the Women's 400m Hurdles took place in the 1980 IAAF World Championships in Athletics in response to the Women's 400m Hurdles not being included at the boycotted 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow, and Liberty Bell Classic.

Many athletic commentators and officials have often brought up the idea of lifting the height of the women's 400 m hurdles to incorporate a greater requirement of hurdling skill. This is a view held by German athletic coach Norbert Stein, "All this means that the women's hurdles for specialists, who are the target group to be dealt with in this discussion, is considerably depreciated in skill demands when compared to the men's hurdles. It should not be possible in the women's hurdles that the winner is an athlete whose performance in the flat sprint is demonstrably excellent but whose technique of hurdling is only moderate and whose anthropometric characteristics are not optimal. This was the case at the World Championships in Seville and the same problem can often be seen at international and national meetings."

Hurdling technique

In terms of technique and endurance, the 400-metre hurdles is arguably the most demanding event in the sprints and hurdles group.[1]: 4169 [2]: 9  Athletes must be able to run a fast 400-metre flat time, maintain a good hurdling technique, and have a unique awareness of stride pattern between hurdles.[2]: 9  The ideal time difference between an athlete's 400 time and their 400 hurdles time should be between 1.5 and 3 seconds. This variation depends on the specific qualities of the athlete: At the professional level, the women's hurdles are smaller (76.2 cm) than the men's (91.4 cm) which usually makes the average time difference smaller for female athletes. In 2024, the two fastest 400 hurdlers in the world (Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Femke Bol) are also two of the fastest women in the open 400, based on their relay split compared to other athletes. To be able to maintain a good hurdling technique throughout the race it is important to work on step patterns. The number of steps an athlete takes during a 400 hurdles is called rhythm. Most 400 hurdlers know how many steps they are going to take in between each hurdle, starting from the block. The distance between the block and the first hurdle is 45 meters, which allows the fastest women to take 21 to 23 steps, while the fastest men can get down to 19 or 20. After the first one, the hurdles are 35 meters apart, and the tenth one is placed at 40 meters from the finish line. The internal steps from hurdle two to hurdle ten vary depending on the athlete's abilities, speed, technique, and personal preferences. The most skilled athletes can change their rhythm depending on how fast they need, or want, to run. For example, Karsten Warholm ran 13 steps up to hurdle seven, then decided to switch to 15 steps for the last three hurdles at the Paris Olympics, because he is more comfortable going over hurdles with his dominant leg. An even number of steps in between the hurdles implies alternating which leg goes over it first (lead leg), while an uneven number of steps allows for going over the hurdles with the same leg. Furthermore, athletes must possess anaerobic endurance over the final 150 to 100 metres of the race as, at this point, lactate (the conjugate base of lactic acid) will accumulate in the body from anaerobic glycolysis.[3]: 43 

Block start

When preparing to hurdle, the blocks should be set so that the athlete arrives at the first hurdle leading on the desired leg without inserting a stutter step. A stutter step is when the runner has to chop his or her stride down to arrive on the "correct" leg for take off. Throughout the race, any adjustments to stride length stride speed should be made several strides out from the hurdle because a stutter or being too far from the hurdle at takeoff will result in loss of momentum and speed.

Hurdling

At the beginning of the take-off, the knee must be driven toward the hurdle and the foot then extended. The leg position when extended must be stretched out, in a position of a split. The knee should be slightly bent when crossing the hurdle. Unless an athlete's body has great flexibility, the knee must be slightly bent to allow a forward body lean. Unlike the 110m hurdles, a significant forward body lean is not that necessary due to the hurdles being lower. However, the trail leg must be kept bent and short to provide a quick lever action allowing a fast hurdle clearance. The knee should pull through under the armpit and should not be flat across the top of the hurdle.

It is also important that the hurdler does not reach out on the last stride before the hurdle as this will result in a longer bound being made to clear the hurdle. This will also result in a loss of momentum if the foot lands well in front of the center of gravity.

Stride length

Using a left lead leg on the bends allows the hurdler to run closer to the inside of the lane and cover a shorter distance. Additionally, if the left leg is used for the lead, then the athlete's upper body can be leaned to the left, making it easier to bring the trail leg through. Additionally, an athlete hurdling with a right leg lead around the bends must take care that they do not inadvertently trail their foot or toe around the hurdle rather than passing over the top, which would lead to a disqualification from the race. Depending on the height and strength of the athlete, men work toward a stride pattern of 13 to 15 steps between each hurdle, and women work toward a stride pattern of 15 to 17. This does not include the landing step from the previous hurdle. Edwin Moses was the first man to keep 13 strides throughout an entire race. Weaker athletes will typically hold a longer step pattern throughout the race so that they do not bound or reach with each step, which also results in a loss of speed. These patterns are ideal because it allows the hurdler to take off from their predominant leg throughout the race without switching legs. However, fatigue from the race will knock athletes off their stride pattern and force them to switch legs. At an early age, many coaches train their athletes to hurdle with both legs. This is a useful skill to learn, since, as a runner tires, their stride length may decrease, resulting in the need either to add a stutter stride, or to take a hurdle on the other leg. Even though some athletes prefer using their dominant leg as lead, every professional knows how to go over hurdles with both legs. Some athletes have started choosing an even rhythm (Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone does 14 steps for most of her race).

Continental records

Area Men Women
Time (s) Athlete Nation Time (s) Athlete Nation
Africa (records) 47.10 Samuel Matete  Zambia 52.90 Nezha Bidouane  Morocco
Asia (records) 46.98 Abderrahman Samba  Qatar 53.09 Kemi Adekoya  Bahrain
Europe (records) 45.94 WR Karsten Warholm  Norway 50.95 Femke Bol  Netherlands
North, Central America
and Caribbean (records)		 46.17 Rai Benjamin  United States 50.37 WR Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone  United States
Oceania (records) 48.28 Rohan Robinson  Australia 53.17 Debbie Flintoff-King  Australia
South America (records) 46.29 Alison dos Santos  Brazil 52.66 Gianna Woodruff  Panama

All-time top 25

Tables show data for two definitions of "Top 25" - the top 25 400m hurdles times and the top 25 athletes:
- denotes top performance for athletes in the top 25 400m hurdles times
- denotes lesser performances, still in the top 25 400m hurdles times, by repeat athletes
- denotes top performance (only) for other top 25 athletes who fall outside the top 25 400m hurdles times

Men

All-time top 25 of the men's 400 metres hurdles
Ath.# Perf.# Time (s) Athlete Nation Date Place Ref.
1 1 45.94 Karsten Warholm  Norway 3 August 2021 Tokyo [8]
2 2 46.17 Rai Benjamin  United States 3 August 2021 Tokyo [8]
3 46.28 Warholm #2 16 August 2025 Chorzów [9]
3 4 46.29 Alison dos Santos  Brazil 19 July 2022 Eugene [10]
5 46.39 Benjamin #2 16 September 2023 Eugene [11]
6 46.46 Benjamin #3 30 June 2024 Eugene [12]
Benjamin #4 9 August 2024 Saint-Denis [13]
8 46.51 Warholm #3 21 July 2023 Monaco [14]
9 46.52 Warholm #4 15 June 2023 Oslo [15]
Benjamin #5 19 September 2025 Tokyo [16]
11 46.53 Warholm #5 16 September 2023 Eugene [11]
12 46.54 Benjamin #6 15 June 2025 Stockholm [17]
13 46.62 Benjamin #7 9 July 2023 Eugene [18]
14 46.63 dos Santos #2 30 May 2024 Oslo [19]
15 46.64 Benjamin #8 18 May 2024 Los Angeles [20]
16 46.65 dos Santos #3 5 July 2025 Eugene [21]
17 46.67 Benjamin #9 12 July 2024 Monaco [22]
18 46.68 dos Santos #4 15 June 2025 Stockholm [17]
19 46.70 Warholm #6 1 July 2021 Oslo
Warholm #7 30 May 2024 Oslo [19]
Warholm #8 28 August 2025 Zurich [23]
22 46.71 Benjamin #10 5 July 2025 Eugene [21]
23 46.72 dos Santos #5 3 August 2021 Tokyo [8]
24 46.73 Warholm #9 12 July 2024 Monaco [22]
25 46.76 Warholm #10 6 July 2023 Jessheim [24]
4 46.78 Kevin Young  United States 6 August 1992 Barcelona
5 46.98 Abderrahman Samba  Qatar 30 June 2018 Paris [25]
6 47.02 Edwin Moses  United States 31 August 1983 Koblenz
7 47.03 Bryan Bronson  United States 21 June 1998 New Orleans
8 47.08 Kyron Mcmaster  British Virgin Islands 3 August 2021 Tokyo [8]
9 47.10 Samuel Matete  Zambia 7 August 1991 Zurich
10 47.11 Ezekiel Nathaniel  Nigeria 19 September 2025 Tokyo [26]
11 47.19 Andre Phillips  United States 25 September 1988 Seoul
12 47.23 Amadou Dia Ba  Senegal 25 September 1988 Seoul
Caleb Dean  United States 7 June 2024 Eugene [27]
14 47.24 Kerron Clement  United States 26 June 2005 Carson
15 47.25 Félix Sánchez  Dominican Republic 29 August 2003 Saint-Denis
Angelo Taylor  United States 18 August 2008 Beijing
17 47.30 Bershawn Jackson  United States 9 August 2005 Helsinki
18 47.34 Roshawn Clarke  Jamaica 21 August 2023 Budapest [28]
19 47.37 Stéphane Diagana  France 5 July 1995 Lausanne
20 47.38 Danny Harris  United States 10 July 1991 Lausanne
Trevor Bassitt  United States 21 August 2023 Budapest [28]
22 47.41 Wilfried Happio  France 19 July 2022 Eugene [10]
23 47.42 Malik James-King  Jamaica 28 June 2024 Kingston [29]
Clement Ducos  France 25 August 2024 Chorzów [30]
25 47.43 James Carter  United States 9 August 2005 Helsinki

Women

All-time top 25 of the women's 400 metres hurdles
Ath.# Perf.# Time (s) Athlete Nation Date Place Ref.
1 1 50.37 Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone  United States 8 August 2024 Saint-Denis [33]
2 50.65 McLaughlin-Levrone #2 30 June 2024 Eugene [12]
3 50.68 McLaughlin-Levrone #3 22 July 2022 Eugene [34]
2 4 50.95 Femke Bol  Netherlands 14 July 2024 La Chaux-de-Fonds [35][36]
5 51.30 Bol #2 20 July 2024 London [37]
6 51.41 McLaughlin-Levrone #4 25 June 2022 Eugene [38]
7 51.45 Bol #3 23 July 2023 London [39]
8 51.46 McLaughlin-Levrone #5 4 August 2021 Tokyo [40]
9 51.54 Bol #4 19 September 2025 Tokyo [41]
3 10 51.58 Dalilah Muhammad  United States 4 August 2021 Tokyo [40]
11 51.61 McLaughlin-Levrone #6 5 June 2022 Nashville [42]
12 51.68 McLaughlin-Levrone #7 8 August 2022 Székesfehérvár [43]
13 51.70 Bol #5 24 August 2023 Budapest [44]
4 14 51.87 Anna Cockrell  United States 8 August 2024 Saint-Denis [33]
15 51.90 McLaughlin-Levrone #8 27 June 2021 Eugene [45]
16 51.91 Bol #6 16 August 2025 Chorzów [46]
17 51.95 Bol #7 11 July 2025 Monaco [47]
18 51.98 Bol #8 17 September 2023 Eugene [48]
19 52.03 Bol #9 4 August 2021 Tokyo [40]
20 52.07 McLaughlin-Levrone #9 3 May 2025 Miramar [49]
5 21 52.08 Jasmine Jones  United States 19 September 2025 Tokyo [41]
22 52.10 Bol #10 19 July 2025 London [50]
23 52.11 Bol #11 8 September 2023 Brussels [51]
Bol #12 15 June 2025 Stockholm [52]
25 52.13 McLaughlin-Levrone #10 6 August 2024 Saint-Denis [53]
Bol #13 25 August 2024 Chorzów [54]
6 52.34 Yuliya Pechonkina  Russia 8 August 2003 Tula
7 52.39 Shamier Little  United States 4 July 2021 Stockholm [55]
8 52.42 Melaine Walker  Jamaica 20 August 2009 Berlin
9 52.46 Savannah Sutherland  Canada 14 June 2025 Eugene [56]
10 52.47 Lashinda Demus  United States 1 September 2011 Daegu
11 52.51 Rushell Clayton  Jamaica 28 June 2024 Kingston [57]
12 52.61 Kim Batten  United States 11 August 1995 Gothenburg
13 52.62 Tonja Buford-Bailey  United States 11 August 1995 Gothenburg
14 52.66 Gianna Woodruff  Panama 17 September 2025 Tokyo [58]
15 52.74 Sally Gunnell  Great Britain 19 August 1993 Stuttgart
16 52.77 Fani Halkia  Greece 22 August 2004 Athens
17 52.79 Sandra Farmer-Patrick  United States 19 August 1993 Stuttgart
Kaliese Spencer  Jamaica 5 August 2011 London
19 52.82 Deon Hemmings  Jamaica 31 July 1996 Atlanta
20 52.83 Zuzana Hejnová  Czech Republic 15 August 2013 Moscow
21 52.89 Daimí Pernía  Cuba 25 August 1999 Seville
22 52.90 Nezha Bidouane  Morocco 25 August 1999 Seville
23 52.92 Natalya Antyukh  Russia 30 July 2010 Barcelona
24 52.94 Marina Stepanova  Soviet Union 17 September 1986 Tashkent
25 52.95 Sheena Johnson  United States 11 July 2004 Sacramento
Kori Carter  United States 25 June 2017 Sacramento

Annulled marks

The following athletes have had their personal best annulled due to doping offences:

Annulled marks from the all-time top 25 of the women's 400 metres hurdles
Time (s) Athlete Nation Date Place Ref.
52.70 Natalya Antyukh  Russia 8 August 2012 London [59]

Milestones

Most successful athletes

American athlete Glenn Davis had a prodigious start to his hurdling career, running his first race in April 1956 in 54.4 s. Two months later, he ran a new world record with 49.5 s and later that year he won the 400 m hurdles at the Olympics, and was also the first to repeat that feat in 1960.

In terms of success and longevity in competition, Edwin Moses' record is significant: he won 122 races in a row between 1977 and 1987 plus two gold medals, at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montréal and the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. He was undefeated for exactly nine years nine months and nine days, from 26 August 1977 until 4 June 1987. He finished third in the 1988 Olympic final, the last race of his career. He also held the world record for sixteen years from when he first broke it at the Olympics on 25 July 1976 until it was finally broken by Kevin Young at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona.

* Note: Edwin Moses, Kevin Young and Karsten Warholm are the only male 400 m hurdlers to have been Olympic Champion, World Champion, and broken the World Record.
* Note: Sally Gunnell, Dalilah Muhammad and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone are the only female 400 m hurdlers to have been Olympic Champion, World Champion, and broken the World Record.

Olympic medalists

Men

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1900 Paris
 Walter Tewksbury
 United States 		Henri Tauzin
 France 		George Orton
 Canada
1904 St. Louis
 Harry Hillman
 United States 		Frank Waller
 United States 		George Poage
 United States
1908 London
 Charles Bacon
 United States 		Harry Hillman
 United States 		Jimmy Tremeer
 Great Britain
1912 Stockholm not included in the Olympic program
1920 Antwerp
 Frank Loomis
 United States 		John Norton
 United States 		August Desch
 United States
1924 Paris
 Morgan Taylor
 United States 		Erik Wilén
 Finland 		Ivan Riley
 United States
1928 Amsterdam
 David Burghley
 Great Britain 		Frank Cuhel
 United States 		Morgan Taylor
 United States
1932 Los Angeles
 Bob Tisdall
 Ireland 		Glenn Hardin
 United States 		Morgan Taylor
 United States
1936 Berlin
 Glenn Hardin
 United States 		John Loaring
 Canada 		Miguel White
 Philippines
1948 London
 Roy Cochran
 United States 		Duncan White
 Ceylon 		Rune Larsson
 Sweden
1952 Helsinki
 Charles Moore
 United States 		Yuriy Lituyev
Soviet Union 		John Holland
 New Zealand
1956 Melbourne
 Glenn Davis
 United States 		Eddie Southern
 United States 		Josh Culbreath
 United States
1960 Rome
 Glenn Davis
 United States 		Clifton Cushman
 United States 		Dick Howard
 United States
1964 Tokyo
 Rex Cawley
 United States 		John Cooper
 Great Britain 		Salvatore Morale
 Italy
1968 Mexico City
 David Hemery
 Great Britain 		Gerhard Hennige
 West Germany 		John Sherwood
 Great Britain
1972 Munich
 John Akii-Bua
 Uganda 		Ralph Mann
 United States 		David Hemery
 Great Britain
1976 Montreal
 Edwin Moses
 United States 		Michael Shine
 United States 		Yevgeniy Gavrilenko
 Soviet Union
1980 Moscow
 Volker Beck
 East Germany 		Vasyl Arkhypenko
 Soviet Union 		Gary Oakes
 Great Britain
1984 Los Angeles
 Edwin Moses
 United States 		Danny Harris
 United States 		Harald Schmid
 West Germany
1988 Seoul
 André Phillips
 United States 		Amadou Dia Ba
 Senegal 		Edwin Moses
 United States
1992 Barcelona
 Kevin Young
 United States 		Winthrop Graham
 Jamaica 		Kriss Akabusi
 Great Britain
1996 Atlanta
 Derrick Adkins
 United States 		Samuel Matete
 Zambia 		Calvin Davis
 United States
2000 Sydney
 Angelo Taylor
 United States 		Hadi Al-Somaily
 Saudi Arabia 		Llewellyn Herbert
 South Africa
2004 Athens
 Félix Sánchez
 Dominican Republic 		Danny McFarlane
 Jamaica 		Naman Keïta
 France
2008 Beijing
 Angelo Taylor
 United States 		Kerron Clement
 United States 		Bershawn Jackson
 United States
2012 London
 Félix Sánchez
 Dominican Republic 		Michael Tinsley
 United States 		Javier Culson
 Puerto Rico
2016 Rio de Janeiro
 Kerron Clement
 United States 		Boniface Mucheru Tumuti
 Kenya 		Yasmani Copello
 Turkey
2020 Tokyo
 Karsten Warholm
 Norway 		Rai Benjamin
 United States 		Alison dos Santos
 Brazil
2024 Paris
Rai Benjamin
 United States 		Karsten Warholm
 Norway 		Alison dos Santos
 Brazil

Women

Games Gold Silver Bronze
1984 Los Angeles
 Nawal El Moutawakel
 Morocco 		Judi Brown
 United States 		Cristieana Cojocaru
 Romania
1988 Seoul
 Debbie Flintoff-King
 Australia 		Tatyana Ledovskaya
 Soviet Union 		Ellen Fiedler
 East Germany
1992 Barcelona
 Sally Gunnell
 Great Britain 		Sandra Farmer-Patrick
 United States 		Janeene Vickers
 United States
1996 Atlanta
 Deon Hemmings
 Jamaica 		Kim Batten
 United States 		Tonja Buford-Bailey
 United States
2000 Sydney
 Irina Privalova
 Russia 		Deon Hemmings
 Jamaica 		Nezha Bidouane
 Morocco
2004 Athens
 Fani Halkia
 Greece 		Ionela Târlea-Manolache
 Romania 		Tetyana Tereshchuk-Antipova
 Ukraine
2008 Beijing
 Melaine Walker
 Jamaica 		Sheena Tosta
 United States 		Tasha Danvers
 Great Britain
2012 London
 Lashinda Demus
 United States 		Zuzana Hejnová
 Czech Republic 		Kaliese Spencer
 Jamaica
2016 Rio de Janeiro
 Dalilah Muhammad
 United States 		Sara Petersen
 Denmark 		Ashley Spencer
 United States
2020 Tokyo
 Sydney McLaughlin
 United States 		Dalilah Muhammad
 United States 		Femke Bol
 Netherlands
2024 Paris
 Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone
 United States 		Anna Cockrell
 United States 		Femke Bol
 Netherlands

World Championships medalists

Men

Championships Gold Silver Bronze
1983 Helsinki
  Edwin Moses (USA)  Harald Schmid (FRG)  Aleksandr Kharlov (URS)
1987 Rome
  Edwin Moses (USA)  Danny Harris (USA)  Harald Schmid (FRG)
1991 Tokyo
  Samuel Matete (ZAM)  Winthrop Graham (JAM)  Kriss Akabusi (GBR)
1993 Stuttgart
  Kevin Young (USA)  Samuel Matete (ZAM)  Winthrop Graham (JAM)
1995 Gothenburg
  Derrick Adkins (USA)  Samuel Matete (ZAM)  Stéphane Diagana (FRA)
1997 Athens
  Stéphane Diagana (FRA)  Llewellyn Herbert (RSA)  Bryan Bronson (USA)
1999 Seville
  Fabrizio Mori (ITA)  Stéphane Diagana (FRA)  Marcel Schelbert (SUI)
2001 Edmonton
  Félix Sánchez (DOM)  Fabrizio Mori (ITA)  Dai Tamesue (JPN)
2003 Saint-Denis
  Félix Sánchez (DOM)  Joey Woody (USA)  Periklis Iakovakis (GRE)
2005 Helsinki
  Bershawn Jackson (USA)  James Carter (USA)  Dai Tamesue (JPN)
2007 Osaka
  Kerron Clement (USA)  Félix Sánchez (DOM)  Marek Plawgo (POL)
2009 Berlin
  Kerron Clement (USA)  Javier Culson (PUR)  Bershawn Jackson (USA)
2011 Daegu
  Dai Greene (GBR)  Javier Culson (PUR)  L. J. van Zyl (RSA)
2013 Moscow
  Jehue Gordon (TRI)  Michael Tinsley (USA)  Emir Bekrić (SRB)
2015 Beijing
  Nicholas Bett (KEN)  Denis Kudryavtsev (RUS)  Jeffery Gibson (BAH)
2017 London
  Karsten Warholm (NOR)  Yasmani Copello (TUR)  Kerron Clement (USA)
2019 Doha
  Karsten Warholm (NOR)  Rai Benjamin (USA)  Abderrahman Samba (QAT)
2022 Eugene
  Alison dos Santos (BRA)  Rai Benjamin (USA)  Trevor Bassitt (USA)
2023 Budapest
  Karsten Warholm (NOR)  Kyron McMaster (BVI)  Rai Benjamin (USA)
2025 Tokyo
  Rai Benjamin (USA)  Alison dos Santos (BRA)  Abderrahman Samba (QAT)

Medal table

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1 United States (USA)86519
2 Norway (NOR)3003
3 Dominican Republic (DOM)2103
4 Zambia (ZAM)1203
5 France (FRA)1113
6 Brazil (BRA)1102
 Italy (ITA)1102
8 Great Britain (GBR)1012
9 Kenya (KEN)1001
 Trinidad and Tobago (TTO)1001
11 Puerto Rico (PUR)0202
12 Germany (GER)0112
 Jamaica (JAM)0112
 South Africa (RSA)0112
15 British Virgin Islands (BVI)0101
 Russia (RUS)0101
 Turkey (TUR)0101
18 Japan (JPN)0022
 Qatar (QAT)0022
20 Bahamas (BAH)0011
 Greece (GRE)0011
 Poland (POL)0011
 Serbia (SRB)0011
 Soviet Union (URS)0011
 Switzerland (SUI)0011
Totals (25 entries)20202060

Women

Championships Gold Silver Bronze
1980 Sittard
  Bärbel Broschat (GDR)  Ellen Neumann (GDR)  Petra Pfaff (GDR)
1983 Helsinki
  Yekaterina Fesenko (URS)  Ana Ambrazienė (URS)  Ellen Neumann-Fiedler (GDR)
1987 Rome
  Sabine Busch (GDR)  Debbie Flintoff (AUS)  Cornelia Feuerbach (GDR)
1991 Tokyo
  Tatyana Ledovskaya (URS)  Sally Gunnell (GBR)  Janeene Vickers (USA)
1993 Stuttgart
  Sally Gunnell (GBR)  Sandra Farmer-Patrick (USA)  Margarita Ponomaryova (RUS)
1995 Gothenburg
  Kim Batten (USA)  Tonja Buford (USA)  Deon Hemmings (JAM)
1997 Athens
  Nezha Bidouane (MAR)  Deon Hemmings (JAM)  Kim Batten (USA)
1999 Seville
  Daimí Pernía (CUB)  Nezha Bidouane (MAR)  Deon Hemmings (JAM)
2001 Edmonton
  Nezha Bidouane (MAR)  Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS)  Daimí Pernía (CUB)
2003 Saint-Denis
  Jana Pittman (AUS)  Sandra Glover (USA)  Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS)
2005 Helsinki
  Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS)  Lashinda Demus (USA)  Sandra Glover (USA)
2007 Osaka
  Jana Rawlinson (AUS)  Yuliya Pechenkina (RUS)  Anna Jesień (POL)
2009 Berlin
  Melaine Walker (JAM)  Lashinda Demus (USA)  Josanne Lucas (TRI)
2011 Daegu
  Lashinda Demus (USA)  Melaine Walker (JAM)  Natalya Antyukh (RUS)
2013 Moscow
  Zuzana Hejnová (CZE)  Dalilah Muhammad (USA)  Lashinda Demus (USA)
2015 Beijing
  Zuzana Hejnová (CZE)  Shamier Little (USA)  Cassandra Tate (USA)
2017 London
  Kori Carter (USA)  Dalilah Muhammad (USA)  Ristananna Tracey (JAM)
2019 Doha
  Dalilah Muhammad (USA)  Sydney McLaughlin (USA)  Rushell Clayton (JAM)
2022 Eugene
  Sydney McLaughlin (USA)  Femke Bol (NED)  Dalilah Muhammad (USA)
2023 Budapest
  Femke Bol (NED)  Shamier Little (USA)  Rushell Clayton (JAM)
2025 Tokyo
  Femke Bol (NED)  Jasmine Jones (USA)  Emma Zapletalová (SVK)

Medal table

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  United States (USA) 5 11 6 22
2  East Germany (GDR) 2 1 3 6
3  Australia (AUS) 2 1 0 3
 Morocco (MAR) 2 1 0 3
 Soviet Union (URS) 2 1 0 3
 Netherlands (NED) 2 1 0 3
7  Czech Republic (CZE) 2 0 0 2
8  Jamaica (JAM) 1 2 4 7
9  Russia (RUS) 1 2 3 6
10  Great Britain (GBR) 1 1 0 2
11  Cuba (CUB) 1 0 1 2
12  Denmark (DEN) 1 0 0 1
13  Spain (ESP) 0 1 0 1
 Turkey (TUR) 0 1 0 1
17  Poland (POL) 0 0 1 1
 Trinidad and Tobago (TTO) 0 0 1 1
 Slovakia (SVK) 0 0 1 1

Season's bests

Men's season's bests
Year Time Athlete Place
1971 48.9h  Ralph Mann (USA) Helsinki
1972 47.82  John Akii-Bua (UGA) Munich
1973 48.54  John Akii-Bua (UGA) Lagos
1974 48.1h  Jim Bolding (USA) Milan
1975 48.4h  Jim Bolding (USA) Milan
1976 47.63  Edwin Moses (USA) Montreal
1977 47.45  Edwin Moses (USA) Westwood
1978 47.94  Edwin Moses (USA) Zurich
1979 47.53  Edwin Moses (USA) Montreal
1980 47.13  Edwin Moses (USA) Milan
1981 47.14  Edwin Moses (USA) Lausanne
1982 47.48  Harald Schmid (FRG) Athens
1983 47.02  Edwin Moses (USA) Koblenz
1984 47.32  Edwin Moses (USA) Koblenz
1985 47.63  Danny Harris (USA) Zurich
1986 47.38  Edwin Moses (USA) Lausanne
1987 47.46  Edwin Moses (USA) Rome
1988 47.19  Andre Phillips (USA) Seoul
1989 47.86  Kevin Young (USA) Berlin
1990 47.49  Danny Harris (USA) Lausanne
1991 47.10  Samuel Matete (ZAM) Zurich
1992 46.78  Kevin Young (USA) Barcelona
1993 47.18  Kevin Young (USA) Stuttgart
1994 47.70  Derrick Adkins (USA) Linz
1995 47.37  Stéphane Diagana (FRA) Lausanne
1996 47.54  Derrick Adkins (USA) Atlanta
1997 47.64  Bryan Bronson (USA) Monaco
1998 47.03  Bryan Bronson (USA) New Orleans
1999 47.72  Fabrizio Mori (ITA) Seville
2000 47.50  Angelo Taylor (USA) Sydney
2001 47.38  Félix Sánchez (DOM) Zurich
2002 47.35  Félix Sánchez (DOM) Zurich
2003 47.25  Félix Sánchez (DOM) Saint-Denis
2004 47.63  Félix Sánchez (DOM) Athens
2005 47.24  Kerron Clement (USA) Carson
2006 47.39  Kerron Clement (USA) Indianapolis
2007 47.61  Kerron Clement (USA) Osaka
2008 47.25  Angelo Taylor (USA) Beijing
2009 47.91  Kerron Clement (USA) Berlin
2010 47.32  Bershawn Jackson (USA) Des Moines
2011 47.66  L. J. van Zyl (RSA) Pretoria
Ostrava
2012 47.63  Félix Sánchez (DOM) London
2013 47.69  Jehue Gordon (TRI) Moscow
2014 48.03  Javier Culson (PUR) New York City
2015 47.79  Nicholas Bett (KEN) Beijing
2016 47.73  Kerron Clement (USA) Rio de Janeiro
2017 47.80  Kyron McMaster (IVB) Kingston
2018 46.98  Abderrahman Samba (QAT) Paris
2019 46.92  Karsten Warholm (NOR) Zurich
2020 46.87  Karsten Warholm (NOR) Stockholm
2021 45.94  Karsten Warholm (NOR) Tokyo
2022 46.29  Alison dos Santos (BRA) Eugene
2023 46.39  Rai Benjamin (USA) Eugene
2024 46.46  Rai Benjamin (USA) Eugene
2025 46.28  Karsten Warholm (NOR) Chorzów
Women's season's bests
Year Time Athlete Place
1971
1972
1973 56.7h  Danuta Piecyk (POL) Warsaw
1974 56.51  Krystyna Kacperczyk (POL) Augsburg
1975
1976
1977 55.63  Karin Roßley (GDR) Helsinki
1978 54.89  Tatyana Zelentsova (URS) Prague
1979 54.78  Marina Stepanova (URS) Moscow
1980 54.28  Karin Roßley (GDR) Jena
1981 54.79  Ellen Fiedler (GDR) Jena
1982 54.57  Ann-Louise Skoglund (SWE) Athens
1983 54.02  Anna Ambrazienė (URS) Moscow
1984 53.58  Margarita Ponomaryova (URS) Kyiv
1985 53.55  Sabine Busch (GDR) Berlin
1986 52.94  Marina Stepanova (URS) Tashkent
1987 53.24  Sabine Busch (GDR) Potsdam
1988 53.17  Debbie Flintoff-King (AUS) Seoul
1989 53.37  Sandra Farmer-Patrick (USA) New York City
1990 53.62  Tatyana Ledovskaya (URS) Split
1991 53.11  Tatyana Ledovskaya (URS) Tokyo
1992 53.23  Sally Gunnell (GBR) Barcelona
1993 52.74  Sally Gunnell (GBR) Stuttgart
1994 53.33  Sally Gunnell (GBR) Helsinki
1995 52.61  Kim Batten (USA) Gothenburg
1996 52.82  Deon Hemmings (JAM) Atlanta
1997 52.97  Kim Batten (USA) Indianapolis
 Nezha Bidouane (MAR) Athens
1998 52.74  Kim Batten (USA) Monaco
1999 52.89  Daimí Pernía (CUB) Seville
2000 53.02  Irina Privalova (RUS) Sydney
2001 53.34  Nezha Bidouane (MAR) Edmonton
2002 53.10  Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS) Tula
2003 52.34  Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS) Tula
2004 52.77  Faní Halkiá (GRE) Athens
2005 52.90  Yuliya Pechonkina (RUS) Helsinki
2006 53.02  Lashinda Demus (USA) Athens
2007 53.28  Tiffany Williams (USA) Indianapolis
2008 52.64  Melaine Walker (JAM) Beijing
2009 52.42  Melaine Walker (JAM) Berlin
2010 52.82  Lashinda Demus (USA) Rome
2011 52.47  Lashinda Demus (USA) Daegu
2012 52.77  Lashinda Demus (USA) London
2013 52.83  Zuzana Hejnová (CZE) Moscow
2014 53.41  Kaliese Spencer (JAM) Kingston
2015 53.50  Zuzana Hejnová (CZE) Beijing
2016 52.88  Dalilah Muhammad (USA) Eugene
2017 52.64  Dalilah Muhammad (USA) Sacramento
2018 52.75  Sydney McLaughlin (USA) Knoxville
2019 52.16  Dalilah Muhammad (USA) Doha
2020 53.79  Femke Bol (NED) Arnhem
2021 51.46  Sydney McLaughlin (USA) Tokyo
2022 50.68  Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) Eugene
2023 51.45  Femke Bol (NED) London
2024 50.37  Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) Saint-Denis
2025 51.54  Femke Bol (NED) Tokyo

National records

Men

Equal or superior to 48.00 s:

Nation Time Athlete Date Place
 Norway 45.94 Karsten Warholm 3 August 2021 Tokyo
 United States 46.17 Rai Benjamin 3 August 2021 Tokyo
 Brazil 46.29 Alison dos Santos 19 July 2022 Eugene
 Qatar 46.98 Abderrahman Samba 30 June 2018 Paris
 British Virgin Islands 47.08 Kyron McMaster 3 August 2021 Tokyo
 Zambia 47.10 Samuel Matete 7 August 1991 Zurich
 Nigeria 47.11 Ezekiel Nathaniel 19 September 2025 Tokyo
 Senegal 47.23 Amadou Dia Ba 25 September 1988 Seoul
 Dominican Republic 47.25 Félix Sánchez 29 August 2003 Saint-Denis
 Jamaica 47.34 Roshawn Clarke 21 August 2023 Budapest
 France 47.37 Stéphane Diagana 5 July 1995 Lausanne
 Germany 47.48 Harald Schmid 8 September 1982 Athens
 Italy 47.50 Alessandro Sibilio 11 June 2024 Rome
 Saudi Arabia 47.53 Hadi Soua'an Al-Somaily 27 September 2000 Sydney
 South Africa 47.66 L. J. van Zyl 25 February 2011 Pretoria
 Trinidad and Tobago 47.69 Jehue Gordon 15 August 2013 Moscow
 Puerto Rico 47.72 Javier Culson 8 May 2010 Ponce
 Kenya 47.78 Boniface Mucheru 18 August 2016 Rio de Janeiro
 Turkey 47.81 Yasmani Copello 9 August 2018 Berlin
 Uganda 47.82 John Akii-Bua 2 September 1972 Munich
 Great Britain 47.82 Kriss Akabusi 6 August 1992 Barcelona
 Greece 47.82 Periklis Iakovakis 6 May 2006 Osaka
 Estonia 47.82 Rasmus Mägi 14 June 2022 Turku
 Panama 47.84 Bayano Kamani 7 August 2005 Helsinki
 Japan 47.89 Dai Tamesue 10 August 2001 Edmonton
 Cuba 47.93 Omar Cisneros 13 August 2013 Moscow
 Sweden 47.94 Carl Bengtström 11 June 2024 Rome
 Ireland 47.97 Thomas Barr 18 August 2016 Rio de Janeiro

Women

Equal or superior to 54.00 s:

Nation Time Athlete Date Place
 United States 50.37 Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone 8 August 2024 Saint-Denis
 Netherlands 50.95 Femke Bol 14 July 2024 La Chaux-de-Fonds
 Russia 52.34 Yuliya Pechonkina 8 August 2003 Tula
 Jamaica 52.42 Melaine Walker 20 August 2009 Berlin
 Canada 52.46 Savannah Sutherland 14 June 2025 Eugene
 Panama 52.66 Gianna Woodruff 17 September 2025 Tokyo
 Great Britain 52.74 Sally Gunnell 19 August 1993 Stuttgart
 Greece 52.77 Fani Halkia 22 August 2004 Athens
 Czech Republic 52.83 Zuzana Hejnová 15 August 2013 Moscow
 Cuba 52.89 Daimí Pernía 25 August 1999 Seville
 Morocco 52.90 Nezha Bidouane 25 August 1999 Seville
 Ukraine 52.96 Anna Ryzhykova 4 July 2021 Stockholm
 Slovakia 53.00 Emma Zapletalová 19 September 2025 Tokyo
 Bahrain 53.09 Kemi Adekoya 24 August 2023 Budapest
 Australia 53.17 Debbie Flintoff-King 28 September 1988 Seoul
 Trinidad and Tobago 53.20 Josanne Lucas 20 August 2009 Berlin
 France 53.21 Marie-José Pérec 16 August 1995 Zurich
 Germany 53.24 Sabine Busch 21 August 1987 Potsdam
 Romania 53.25 Ionela Târlea 7 July 1999 Rome
 Barbados 53.36 Andrea Blackett 25 August 1999 Sevilla
 Denmark 53.55 Sara Slott Petersen 18 August 2016 Rio de Janeiro
 Belgium 53.65 Naomi van den Broeck 17 September 2025 Tokyo
 Bulgaria 53.68 Vanya Stambolova 5 June 2011 Rabat
 South Africa 53.74 Myrtle Bothma 18 April 1986 Johannesburg
 Poland 53.86 Anna Jesień 28 August 2007 Osaka
 Italy 53.89 Ayomide Folorunso 22 August 2023 Budapest
 Norway 53.91 Line Kloster 3 July 2022 La Chaux-de-Fonds
 China 53.96 Han Qing 9 September 1993 Beijing
Song Yinglan 17 November 2001 Guangzhou

Notes and references

  1. Lindeman, Ralph (1995). McGill, Kevin (ed.). "400 Meter Hurdle Theory". Track Coach (131). El Camino Real: Track & Field News: 4169–4171, 4196. ISSN 0041-0314. OCLC 477310277. Formerly Track Technique. Spring 1995 edition. Reprinted from the October 1994 edition of the Hurdle Times newsletter published by the USATF Men's Development Committee.
  2. Schiffer, Jürgen (2012). "The 400m Hurdles". New Studies in Athletics. 27 (1–2). International Amateur Athletic Federation. Aachen: Meyer & Meyer Sport: 9–25. ISSN 0961-933X. OCLC 751170802. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021.
  3. Iskra, Janus (1991). "Endurance in the 400 metres Hurdles". New Studies in Athletics. 6 (2). International Amateur Athletic Federation. Aachen: Meyer & Meyer Sport: 43–50. ISSN 0961-933X. OCLC 751170802. Archived from the original on 4 August 2021.
  4. "Men's outdoor 400 Metres Hurdles| Records". worldathletics.org. World Athletics.
  5. "Women's outdoor 400 Metres Hurdles | Records". worldathletcs.org. World Athletics.
  6. Larsson, Peter (10 August 2019). "All-time men's best 400m hurdles". Track and Field all-time Performances. Archived from the original on 15 September 2020.
  7. "All time Top Lists: Senior Outdoor, 400 Metres Hurdles, Men". World Athletics. (select the "All" option when filtering by athlete)
  8. "Men's 400m Hurdles Results" (PDF). olympics.com. 3 August 2021. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 August 2021.
  9. "Results 400m Hurdles Men" (PDF). swisstiming.com. 16 August 2025.
  10. "Men's 400m Hurdles Final Results" (PDF). World Athletics. 19 July 2022.
  11. "400m Hurdles Result" (PDF). sportresult.com. 16 September 2023.
  12. Jessi Gabriel (30 June 2024). "McLaughlin-Levrone breaks world 400m hurdles record at US Trials". World Athletics.
  13. "Paulino and Benjamin dazzle over one lap to win Olympic golds in Paris | News | Paris 24 | Olympic Games". worldathletics.org.
  14. "400m Hurdles Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 21 July 2023.
  15. Cathal Dennehy (15 June 2023). "Warholm and Ingebrigtsen outstanding in Oslo". World Athletics.
  16. "Men's 400m Hurdles Final Results" (PDF). World Athletics. 19 September 2025.
  17. "400m Hurdles Result" (PDF). swisstiming.com. 15 June 2025.
  18. "400m Hurdles Results". watchathletics.com. 9 July 2023.
  19. "400m Hurdles Result" (PDF). swisstiming.com. 30 May 2024.
  20. "Benjamin and McLaughlin-Levrone impress in Los Angeles | REPORT | World Athletics". worldathletics.org.
  21. "400m Hurdles Results" (PDF). azureedge.net.
  22. "400m Hurdles Result" (PDF). swisstiming.com. 12 July 2024.
  23. Whittington, Jess (28 August 2025). "Big wins for Lyles and Weber, records for Warholm and Tinch as Diamond League Final concludes in Zurich". World Athletics.
  24. Fystro-Gjerde, Yngve (6 July 2023). "Karsten Warholm med sitt fjerde raskaste løp nokosinne: – Det er tullete". NRK (in Norwegian Nynorsk).
  25. "400m Hurdles Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 30 June 2018. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 July 2018.
  26. "Men's 400m Hurdles Final Results" (PDF). World Athletics. 19 September 2025.
  27. "Men 400 M Hurdles". flashresults.ncaa.com.
  28. "400m Hurdles Semifinal Results Summary" (PDF). World Athletics. 21 August 2023.
  29. Noel Francis (29 June 2024). "Thompson and Jackson win 100m titles at Jamaican Championships". World Athletics.
  30. "400m Hurdles Results" (PDF). swisstiming.com. 25 August 2024.
  31. "Senior 400 Metres Hurdles Women – Best by Athlete". World Athletics.
  32. "Senior 400 Metres Hurdles Women – All". World Athletics.
  33. "Women's 400m Hurdles - Final results" (PDF). Olympics. 8 August 2024.
  34. "400m Hurldes Final Results" (PDF). World Athletics. 22 July 2022.
  35. "Bol breaks European 400m hurdles record in La Chaux-de-Fonds". World Athletics. 14 July 2024.
  36. "400m Hurdles Women Results". 14 July 2024.
  37. "400m Hurdles Results" (PDF). swisstiming.com. 20 July 2024.
  38. Karen Rosen (26 June 2022). "McLaughlin breaks world 400m hurdles record with 51.41 at US Championships". World Athletics.
  39. "400m Hurldes Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 23 July 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 March 2024.
  40. "Athletics - Final Results". olympics.com. Archived from the original on 31 July 2021.
  41. "Women's 400m Hurdles Final Results" (PDF). World Athletics. 19 September 2025.
  42. "Sydney McLaughlin runs 51.61 seconds in her first 400m hurdles race this year in Nashville". watchathletics.com. 5 June 2022.
  43. Chris Broadbent (8 August 2022). "McLaughlin sets European all-comers' record of 51.68 in Szekesfehervar". World Athletics.
  44. "400m Hurdles Final Results" (PDF). World Athletics. 24 August 2023.
  45. Ron Dicker (28 June 2021). "Sydney McLaughlin Shatters World Record in 400-Meter Hurdles at U.S. Olympic Trials". HuffPost.
  46. "Results 400m Hurdles Women" (PDF). swisstiming.com. 16 August 2025.
  47. "Lyles back with a bang in Monaco". World Athletics. 11 July 2025.
  48. "400m Hurdles Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 17 September 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 30 September 2023.
  49. "Grand Slam Track Miami - Women's 400 Metres Hurdles Final". worldathletics.org. 3 May 2025.
  50. "Wanda Diamond League London | 400m Hurdles Women | Results" (PDF). Diamond League. 19 July 2025.
  51. "400m Hurdles Result" (PDF). sportresult.com. 8 September 2023. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2023.
  52. "Results 400m Hurdles Women" (PDF). Diamond League. 15 June 2025.
  53. "Women's 400m Hurdles - Semi-Final 2/3 results" (PDF). Olympics.
  54. "Results – 400m Hurdles Women", Diamond League, 25 August 2024. Retrieved 25 August 2024.
  55. Jess Whittington (4 July 2021). "Duplantis soars over meeting record in Stockholm". World Athletics.
  56. "Sutherland and Lemngole impress as records fall at NCAA Championships". World Athletics. 15 June 2025.
  57. Noel Francis (29 June 2024). "Thompson and Jackson win 100m titles at Jamaican Championships". World Athletics.
  58. "Women's 400m Hurdles Semi-Final Results Summary" (PDF). World Athletics. 17 September 2025.
  59. "400 Metres Hurdles Results". IAAF. 8 August 2012.
  60. Abrahamson, Alan (3 August 2021). "Abrahamson: Warholm, Benjamin deliver greatest 400m hurdle race in human history | NBC Olympics". nbcolympics.com. Archived from the original on 3 August 2021.
  61. IAAF World Championships in Athletics. GBR Athletics.
  62. "400 Metres Hurdles - men - senior - outdoor". worldathletics.org.
  63. "400 Metres Hurdles - women - senior - outdoor". worldathletics.org.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to 400 m hurdles.