Full Breakdown
Ja'Kobe Tharp Sets New 110-Metre Hurdles World Record at NCAA Championships
6/12/2026, 1:25:02 AM
Record-Breaking Performance
On 10 June 2026 (some outlets list 11 June) at Hayward Field in Eugene, Oregon, Auburn junior Ja’Kobe Tharp ran the men’s 110-metre hurdles in 12.75 seconds during the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships. The time eclipsed Aries Merritt’s 12.80-second world record from 2012, making Tharp the fastest hurdler in history. The run occurred in a semifinal (or heat) round.
Background
The previous world record of 12.80 seconds was set by Aries Merritt in Brussels in September 2012. Grant Holloway held the NCAA collegiate record (12.98 seconds) since 2019, and the last senior world record at the NCAA meet was Dwight Stones’s high-jump mark in 1976. Tharp entered the championships with a personal best of 13.01 seconds.
Athlete Profile
Tharp, 20, is a Murfreesboro, Tennessee native competing for Auburn. He won the World U-20 title in 2024, the U.S. championship in 2025, and placed sixth at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. He holds three NCAA individual titles, including back-to-back indoor 60-metre hurdles crowns (2025, 2026) and the 2024 outdoor 110-metre hurdles title.
Data & Statistics
Time: 12.75 seconds with a +1.0 m/s wind. The run improved Tharp’s best by 0.26 seconds, beat the world record by 0.05 seconds and the collegiate record by 0.23 seconds. He finished over a quarter-second ahead of second-place Kendrick Smallwood. The Auburn 4×100 m relay also set a new collegiate record (37.75 seconds).
Official Statements & Responses
Auburn Athletics said Tharp’s performance resulted from a deliberate “deload” phase designed to peak at the championships and highlighted his focus on execution. The NCAA noted that a senior world record at its meet is a first since 1976. World Athletics confirmed the time will undergo standard ratification before official recognition.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Sources label the race variously as a semifinal, heat or prelim and give the date as either 10 June or 11 June. All agree on the 12.75-second time, +1.0 m/s wind and that ratification is pending. No further contextual data are provided.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I'm speechless. I didn't mean to,” — Ja’Kobe Tharp, Auburn junior hurdler
- “I knew I had that in my legs. But it wasn’t on my bingo card before this meet, not at all,” — Ja’Kobe Tharp
- “It was about executing and doing it.” — Ja’Kobe Tharp (Auburn press release)
- “I have more in my legs!” — Ja’Kobe Tharp, ESPN broadcast
What’s Next
Tharp will run the 110-metre hurdles final on 12 June, seeking to defend his NCAA title and become the first athlete since Grant Holloway (2019) to win back-to-back championships. He also cited Olympic gold at the 2028 Los Angeles Games as his long-term goal.
