Rai Benjamin dropped a bomb with just four words: “I like the 300m hurdles.” Sounds simple enough, right? But those words hit differently in the track and field world. Everyone’s talking about it. But how did this all get started? Well, on March 25, fans got some exciting news that shook up the scene.
Travis Miller hopped onto X to share a game-changer: World Athletics is officially recognizing world records for the 300m hurdles, just like the 400m hurdles! The event’s now officially part of the Competition Rules & Technical Rules, so no more “unofficial” status for this race. It’s getting the respect it deserves, and track fans couldn’t be more hyped.
With this update, the 300m hurdles will now be tracked the same way the 400m hurdles are: world rankings, performance lists, and the whole nine yards. World Athletics will even keep a record of the best performances. But when will the first official record be set? That’s still up in the air, but it’ll happen once the event really takes off in popularity. For Rai, this is a win—no doubt about it. But guess what? It’s not just Rai Benjamin who’s feeling the love for the 300m hurdles. Turns out, some Olympic legends are just as excited.
The 400mh Olympic champion is curious about the World Athletics’ decision to elevate the 300mh in its latest release.
Here are 4 other changes that World Athletics has made over the years that no one asked for pic.twitter.com/nLxSqm6lhu
— RoriDunk (@FitzDunk) March 26, 2025
Kenny Bednarek, the man who’s got silver medals from the 2020 Olympics, 2022 World Championships, and 2024 Olympics in the 200m, couldn’t resist sharing a little reaction: “.” Yeah, he’s into it. For someone like Kenny, who’s been at the top of the game, this kind of news is huge.
Even Quincy Hall jumped in with a playful comment: “Don’t encourage that I’m not getting cranked till 300 y’all done up some meters between by then .” Quincy’s always got that humor in his pocket. The 400m is already tough enough, and adding 300m of hurdles? Yeah, he’s joking that he’s not ready to tackle that just yet. But his response shows he’s aware of how exciting this event is becoming.
And then there’s Fred Kerley, who snagged a bronze in the men’s 100m at Paris 2024. His response? A whole bunch of laughing emojis: “.” Safe to say, the track and field fam is here for it.
Looks like the 300m hurdles are about to become the new talk of the track. And it seems Rai Benjamin is especially eager to find out why this event was chosen to go official. While the exact reason hasn’t been officially stated, it looks like a former Olympic medalist and professional track athlete may have the answer!
Rai Benjamin might get a clarification on why the 300m hurdles were chosen
Rori Dunk, aka FitzDunk, an Olympic medalist and track and field media personality, recently shared his take on the 300m hurdles becoming an official event. While Rai Benjamin is curious about why this particular event was chosen to go official, Dunk also took the chance to highlight some other changes World Athletics has introduced over the years—changes that no one really asked for but shook up the sport. Here are four key changes he pointed out:
First up, the long jump “take-off zone.” World Athletics expanded the take-off area, allowing athletes to use a wider zone instead of just the traditional long jump board. The aim was to help athletes achieve longer jumps and to correct the myth that the best jumps are often fouls. Then there’s the switch from “indoors” to “short track” terminology. While World Athletics made an official announcement about this change, it wasn’t fully implemented. The shift primarily impacts the validation of outdoor 60m/60 m h marks, but the terminology change hasn’t stuck in practice.
Another change Dunk highlighted was the Top 3 Jump Off. After the first five rounds, the top three athletes were given an additional jump in a “final 3” format. The goal was to add excitement, but in reality, it didn’t quite live up to expectations. Finally, there’s the “Q Room” rule, which allows non-automatic qualifiers in sprint, hurdle, and 800m events to delay their advancement to the next round.
The idea was to create a moment of vulnerability and manipulate athletes’ reactions, but it raised more questions than it answered. Dunk’s insights into these changes show how World Athletics continues to evolve track and field, sometimes in unexpected ways.
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