OK, so it was not a “typo”, at the same time it leads to another question as the largest province, Ontario, runs their 300mH competitions using the spacing I suggested (50m to first, 35m spacing thereafter so as to not need another set of hurdle marks, or that was the posted information I found)
In your opinion does it then become a disadvantage to have the younger athletes going a different distance to the first hurdle for those years when they run 300mH?
Yes, it does become a disadvantage because 45m to the 1st hurdle is standard everywhere in the world (except CA, obviously), regardless of age. Standardization is always the best way.
Further, what then happens when you run 200mH events, as to keep the same distance to the first hurdle, 45m, you would need to have yet another set of marks on the track?
Track surfaces are marked differently, depending on what the track is being used for (grade school, high school, college, or elite/international competition). So it’s a little difficult to put 200, 300, and 400H spacings out on the track. It can be done, I’ve just never seen it done, because 99.99% of tracks don’t host grade school all the way up to international competition.
I am asking all this as it involves LTAD; as well Canada right now is going through a process of trying to standardize all specifications for all ages from province to province and if our nearest neighbor uses slightly different hurdle specifications for younger ages it is something we should consider as there is the potential for travel. The original question was asked as it is quite a different race having 10m or 40m from the last hurdle to the finish line.
As I said, whether it’s for our younger athletes, or for advanced, the markings are the same. Only the distances change (200-300-400).
