Reason why the Olympics men's hurdles are 110m and women's are 100m

The athletics events at the 2024 Paris Olympics are in full swing, although not without their fair share of controversy.

From cameraman almost causing runners to pile up in a big heap to runners squaring up after a huge fall of their own, a lot has happened at Paris' Stade de France.

But one Olympic event has left everyone asking the same question after it kicked off today, with the women's 100 metre hurdles heat events taking to the track. And that is why is it 10 metres shorter than the men's race, which sees male athletes run for 110 metres?

110m hurdles vs 100m hurdles

The men's 110m hurdles comes to a close on Thursday after tonight's (7 August) semi final races, which include one racer who is taking part despite purposely jogging to the finish line in his first race.

It comes as the women's 100m event kickstarted its series of events today, with the heats taking place before the repechage round tomorrow.

The semi-finals will take place on Friday (9 August) with the final happening on Saturday (10 August) in what we're sure will be a spectacular occasion.

Unlike the men's equivalent, the women's race hasn't been here since the very first modern Olympics.

Instead, it was added to the set of events back in the 1932 Olympics initially at a distance of just 80 metres.

Running at such high speeds (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

So what's the reason for 110 metres and 100 metres?

Despite what you might be thinking, there is logic to the different - and it all comes down to biology.

With men typically bigger than women and typically having a larger stride, the course of the race is extended so that speed can be maintained.

World Athletics explains: "The men’s 110m hurdles was standardised in line with the average height and stride of male hurdlers.

"Whereas, the women’s 100m hurdles event is a shorter distance in order to accommodate for the average height and stride of female athletes."

Women travel a short distance in their hurdles event (Richard Heathcote/Getty Images)

This is also why women's hurdles are shorter, coming in at 83.8cm compared to 1.067 metres tall for the men.

For the men, it is a measurement rooted in history and goes as far back as 1964 where efforts were made in Oxford and Cambridge to standardise the course.

Hurdle racing had existed since the 1830s but until then was rather anarchic in its set up.

In 1864, a course was set up totally 120 yards, which comes out at exactly 109.7 metres. Runners cleared ten barriers that were 42 inches high.

Following the standardisation of Imperial units, the course was rounded up to 110 by the French in 1888.