hurdling

thumb|Leon Okafor of Austria runs a hurdle at a 2018 event in Linz.|alt=A man with a goatee and tightly cropped hair wearing a blue tank top and white shorts faces the camera with mouth open at medium range. He has his right leg, sole of the shoe visible, extended over a narrow strip of wood painted in regular black and white stripes supported by circular metal bars at the bottom of the frame while his left leg, behind the wood, can be seen to the knee. On his chest is a piece of paper with "OKAFOR" printed on it.

Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today, the dominant step patterns are the 3-step for high hurdles, 7-step for low hurdles, and 15-step for intermediate hurdles. Hurdling is a highly specialized form of obstacle racing, and is part of the sport of athletics. In hurdling events, barriers known as hurdles are set at precisely measured heights and distances. Each athlete must pass over the hurdles; passing under or intentionally knocking over hurdles will result in disqualification.