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Unlike several other sprint events, the history of the men’s high hurdles follows a largely continuous progression despite the transition from imperial to metric measurements. During the nineteenth century, the event was contested primarily over 120 yards (109.73 metres), while the modern 110 metres hurdles gradually became the international standard following the establishment of the IAAF.

Before the creation of the IAAF and the introduction of the official World Record ratification system in 1912, the fastest performances were recognised as world bests by national athletics associations and contemporary publications. Although these marks were recorded over 120 yards rather than 110 metres, the difference in distance was only 27 centimetres, and the hurdle specifications were essentially identical. As a result, the historical progression is generally regarded as a single continuous record line.

Following the adoption of metric distances for international competition, the 110 metres hurdles replaced the 120-yard event as the official championship discipline. Since then, the World Record progression has reflected more than a century of technical innovation, improved track surfaces and the exceptional performances of the greatest hurdlers in athletics history.

110m Hurdles Men World Record Progression – Table Data

Performance	Athlete	Country	Date	Location	Competition	Notes
12.75	Ja'Kobe Tharp	USA	10/6/2026	Eugene	NCAA Championships
12.80	Aries Merritt	USA	7/9/2012	Bruxelles	Memorial Van Damme
12.87	Dayron Robles	CUB	12/6/2008	Ostrava	Golden Spike GP
12.88	Xiang Liu	CHN	11/7/2006	Lausanne	Athletissima 2005
12.91	Xiang Liu	CHN	27/8/2004	Athens	The XXVIII Olympic Games
12.91	Colin Jackson	GBR	20/8/1993	Stuttgart	IAAF World Championships
12.92	Roger Kingdom	USA	16/8/1989	Zürich	Weltklasse in Zürich
12.93	Renaldo Nehemiah	USA	19/8/1981	Zürich	Weltklasse in Zürich
13.00	Renaldo Nehemiah	USA	6/5/1979	Westwod, LA	Pepsi Meeting
13.16	Renaldo Nehemiah	USA	14/4/1979	San Jose	San Jose Invitational
13.21	Alejandro Casa?as	CUB	21/8/1977	Sofia	Universiade
13.0	Guy Drut	FRA	22/8/1975	Berlin (West)	Berlin ISTAF
13.1	Guy Drut	FRA	23/7/1975	Saint Maur	National Meeting
13.1	Rod Milburn	USA	22/7/1973	Siena	International Meeting
13.1	Rod Milburn	USA	6/7/1973	Zürich	International Meeting
13.0y	Rod Milburn	USA	20/6/1973	Eugene, OR	Hayward Field Restoration Meeting
13.2	Rod Milburn	USA	7/9/1972	München	The XX Olympic Games
13.24	Rod Milburn	USA	7/9/1972	München	The XX Olympic Games
13.0y	Rod Milburn	USA	25/6/1971	Eugene , OR	AAU Championships
13.2	Willie Davenport	USA	4/7/1969	Zürich	Weltklasse in Zürich
13.2	Earl McCullouch	USA	16/7/1967	Minneapolis	US Trial for the Pan-American Games
13.2	Lee Calhoun	USA	21/8/1960	Bern	International Meeting
13.2	Martin Lauer	FRG	7/7/1959	Zürich	Weltklasse in Zürich
13/4y	Milt Campell	USA	13/5/1957	Compton	Compton Invitational
13.4	Jack Davis	USA	22/6/1956	Bakersfield	AAU Championships
13.5y	Jack Davis	USA	9/6/1956	Sanger	Central California AAU
13.5	Richard (Dick) Attlesey	USA	10/7/1950	Helsinki	International Meeting
13.6	Richard (Dick) Attlesey	USA	24/6/1950	College Park	AAU Championships
13.5y	Richard (Dick) Attlesey	USA	13/5/1950	Fresno	West Coast Relays
13,8y	Harrison Dillard	USA	17/4/1948	Lawrence	Kansas Relays
13.7	Fred Wolcott	USA	29/6/1941	Philadelphia	AAU Championships
13.7	Forrest Towns	USA	27/8/1936	Oslo	The Americans Meeting
14.1	Forrest Towns	USA	6/8/1936	Berlin	The XI Olympic Games
14.1	Forrest Towns	USA	19/6/1936	Chicago	NCAA Championships
14.2y	Roy Staley	USA	15/6/1936	Los Angeles	University Dual, USC-Ohaio State
14.2	Alvin Moreau	USA	2/8/1935	Oslo	International Meeting
14.2y	Phil Cope	USA	15/6/1935	Los Angeles	University Dual, USC-Ohaio State
14.2y	Tom Moore	USA	11/5/1935	Fresno	West Coast Relays
14.2	Percy Beard	USA	6/8/1934	Oslo	International Meeting
14.3	Percy Beard	USA	26/7/1934	Stockholm	International Meeting
14.4	John Morris	USA	8/9/1933	Torino	World Student Games
14.4	John Morris	USA	12/8/1933	Budapest	International Meeting
14.4	George Saling	USA	2/8/1932	Los Angeles	The X Olympic Games
14.4	Jack Keller	USA	16/7/1932	Stanford	US Olympic Trials
14.4	Percy Beard	USA	18/6/1932	Cambridge MA	US Olympic Trials
14.4	Bengt Sjöstedt	FIN	5/9/1931	Helsinki	FIN-SWE Int. Match
14.2y	Percy Beard	USA	4/7/1931	:incoln	AAU Championships
14.4y	Steve Anderson	USA	23/8/1930	Pittsburg	AAU Championships
14.4	Eric Verner Wennström	SWE	25/8/1929	Stockholm	SWE-NOR Int. Match
14.6	George Weightman-Smith	RSA	31/7/1928	Amsterdam	The IX Olympic Games
14.8	Sten Pettersson	SWE	18/9/1927	Stockholm	International Meeting
14.8	Earl Thomson	CAN	18/8/1920	Antwerp	The VII Olympic Games
15.0	Forrest Smithson	USA	25/7/1908	London	The IV Olympic Games