The Complete Handbook of Track Hurdles
The Definitive Reference for Coaches, Athletic Directors, Facility Managers, and Serious Track Athletes
by Alumigogo Books
non-fiction
The complete reference for selecting, installing, maintaining, and sourcing track hurdles—grounded in official standards, not marketing.
About this book
Track hurdles are more than props on a track. They are precisely engineered obstacles governed by strict international specifications, and choosing, installing, and maintaining them correctly directly affects athlete safety, training effectiveness, and competitive compliance.
This handbook is written for coaches, athletic directors, facility managers, equipment distributors, and serious competitors who need to understand hurdles as equipment—not marketing copy. It covers what hurdles actually are and how they work; the different types and their specifications; how to choose the right hurdles for your specific event, budget, and facility; proper installation, setup, and daily use; maintenance protocols and troubleshooting; how to evaluate brands and suppliers; emerging trends in materials and technology; and the official standards bodies and resources serious users should know about.
Whether you're outfitting a high school track, training for the 110m or 100m hurdles, managing a collegiate facility, or evaluating suppliers as a distributor, this handbook gives you the concrete, standards-based knowledge you need to make sound decisions.
Reader Reviews
Jessica Baker
★★★★★Good reference for coaches setting up a program. The section on height and spacing standards is clear and I've already used it to check our setup. My only gripe is the maintenance chapter could have more photos—some of the wear patterns described are hard to visualize without pictures.
Brenda Hill
★★★★★As an athletic director buying hurdles for the first time, Chapter 2 and 3 saved me from making an expensive mistake. The comparison of competition vs. training hurdles actually made sense. Would have appreciated a sample RFP template though.
James King
★★★★★Solid technical reference. The specifications are accurate and match World Athletics rules. One thing—I wish there was more detail on adjustable vs. fixed-height training hurdles, since that's where a lot of coaches get confused.
Anna Nelson
★★★★★Finally a resource that treats hurdles as actual equipment with engineering principles, not just 'jump over these.' Chapter 1 alone cleared up misconceptions I had about why the tipping mechanism matters. Practical and direct throughout.
Angela Scott
★★★★★Useful for what it covers, but it's pretty technical and assumes you already know basic track terminology. The glossary helps, but beginners might want more context. The supplier chapter is good though—gave me options I didn't know existed.
Gary Baker
★★★★★Exactly what I needed. I manage three tracks and was tired of guessing about maintenance and hurdle standards. This handbook answers the questions I actually ask—about storage, inspection protocols, when to replace vs. repair. Every athletic director should have this.
Emily Wright
★★★★★Refreshingly honest about costs and tradeoffs. No marketing nonsense. The chapter on choosing the right hurdles methodically walks through scenario after scenario—high school vs. college, budget constraints, competition vs. training—exactly the decision-making framework I needed.
Jason Wright
★★★★★Comprehensive and well-organized, though some chapters felt denser than others. The installation section was helpful but could use more troubleshooting—what if your track isn't perfectly level? A couple of scenario walkthroughs would have been useful.