Early days of hurdling

An early hurdle race. (No, that's not me.)

Hurdles came from the game of English shepherds jumping over sheep pens, which were about 10 yards apart and 42" tall.  or the first hurdles races in England around 1830, wooden barriers were placed along a stretch of 100 yards. Later, in Oxford and Cambridge, the race was standardized to 120 yards with 10 42" hurdles. France changed the race to 110 metres in 1888.

The massive hurdles of the early days were first replaced in 1895 with somewhat lighter T-shaped hurdles that runners were able to knock over. However, until 1935, runners were disqualified if they knocked down more than three hurdles, and records were only recognized if the runner had left all hurdles standing. In 1935, the T-shaped hurdles were replaced by L-shaped ones that easily fall forward if bumped into and therefore reduce the risk of injury.

The current style of stepping over hurdles rather than jumping was first used by Alvin Kraenzlein, a guy from Milwaukee who won the event in the 1900 Olympics.

The 110 meter hurdles have been an Olympic event since 1896. Women ran it occasionally in the 1920s but it wasn't until 1932 that it became a regular event in the Olympics. 

 1928 Olympics.

University of Wisconsin women's hurdle race.