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Auburn Junior JaKobe Tharp Sets 110-Meter Hurdles World Record at NCAA Championships
A thunderous 12.75‑second run shattered the 110‑meter hurdles world record at Hayward Field on Wednesday, June 10, 2026. Auburn University junior Ja’Kobe Tharp leapt over ten hurdles with a legal +1.0 m/s tailwind, eclipsing Aries Merritt’s 12.80‑second benchmark set in 2012.
The Associated Press reported that Tharp’s performance came in the first‑day semifinal of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. While the time is still pending ratification by World Athletics, the U.S. collegiate system already recognises it as the fastest 110‑meter hurdles run in history.
Tharp, 20, has built a résumé that reflects his meteoric rise. He claimed the 110‑meter hurdles title at the 2025 U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships and won the 2024 World U20 championship. In 2025 he advanced to the final of the World Championships, finishing as a finalist among the world’s elite hurdlers.
The NCAA championships, staged at Eugene’s iconic Hayward Field, are a crucible for the nation’s top athletes. Semifinals often produce the fastest times, and Tharp’s 12.75‑second run was 0.05 seconds faster than Merritt’s 12.80, a margin equivalent to a twentieth of a second in a race that lasts just over 12.5 seconds.
Tharp’s record is part of a broader pattern of exceptional performances by Auburn athletes. In 2026 he also broke Grant Holloway’s collegiate record in the 60‑meter hurdles and retained his NCAA Indoor title, the first of his career. His outdoor season culminated with a victory in the 110‑meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships, making him the first athlete to win both the indoor and outdoor national titles in the same year.
The 110‑meter hurdles event features ten hurdles, each 106.7 cm high, spaced 9.14 m apart after a 13.72‑m run‑up. The final 14.02 m stretch to the finish is critical for timing. Tharp’s 12.75 seconds places him among the top five all‑time performers, according to the World Athletics all‑time list.
The record’s significance extends beyond the NCAA arena. It demonstrates the continued progression of the event, with world‑class athletes pushing the limits of speed and technique. Once ratified, the time will join the official World Athletics database and serve as a benchmark for future generations.
At present, the record remains provisional. World Athletics will review the performance for wind assistance, doping control, and other compliance factors before officially recognizing it. Meanwhile, Tharp is scheduled to compete in the NCAA final later that day, where he will attempt to defend his title and potentially add a second world‑record performance to his résumé.
The NCAA championships conclude on Saturday, June 13, with finals across multiple events. Tharp’s world‑record run is already a highlight of the meet, and his continued success will be closely watched by coaches, analysts, and fans alike as the season moves toward the national championships and the international track and field calendar.
The Associated Press reported that Tharp’s performance came in the first‑day semifinal of the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships. While the time is still pending ratification by World Athletics, the U.S. collegiate system already recognises it as the fastest 110‑meter hurdles run in history.
Tharp, 20, has built a résumé that reflects his meteoric rise. He claimed the 110‑meter hurdles title at the 2025 U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships and won the 2024 World U20 championship. In 2025 he advanced to the final of the World Championships, finishing as a finalist among the world’s elite hurdlers.
The NCAA championships, staged at Eugene’s iconic Hayward Field, are a crucible for the nation’s top athletes. Semifinals often produce the fastest times, and Tharp’s 12.75‑second run was 0.05 seconds faster than Merritt’s 12.80, a margin equivalent to a twentieth of a second in a race that lasts just over 12.5 seconds.
Tharp’s record is part of a broader pattern of exceptional performances by Auburn athletes. In 2026 he also broke Grant Holloway’s collegiate record in the 60‑meter hurdles and retained his NCAA Indoor title, the first of his career. His outdoor season culminated with a victory in the 110‑meter hurdles at the NCAA Championships, making him the first athlete to win both the indoor and outdoor national titles in the same year.
The 110‑meter hurdles event features ten hurdles, each 106.7 cm high, spaced 9.14 m apart after a 13.72‑m run‑up. The final 14.02 m stretch to the finish is critical for timing. Tharp’s 12.75 seconds places him among the top five all‑time performers, according to the World Athletics all‑time list.
The record’s significance extends beyond the NCAA arena. It demonstrates the continued progression of the event, with world‑class athletes pushing the limits of speed and technique. Once ratified, the time will join the official World Athletics database and serve as a benchmark for future generations.
At present, the record remains provisional. World Athletics will review the performance for wind assistance, doping control, and other compliance factors before officially recognizing it. Meanwhile, Tharp is scheduled to compete in the NCAA final later that day, where he will attempt to defend his title and potentially add a second world‑record performance to his résumé.
The NCAA championships conclude on Saturday, June 13, with finals across multiple events. Tharp’s world‑record run is already a highlight of the meet, and his continued success will be closely watched by coaches, analysts, and fans alike as the season moves toward the national championships and the international track and field calendar.
