For the first time in fifty years, a new world record was set at the NCAA Outdoor Division 1 Track and Field Championships. Here’s Deji’s take on expected WR Ja’Kobe Tharp.
Why Ja’Kobe Tharp’s world record looks like a new era for the 110m hurdles
When I spoke Ja’Kobe Tharp At the East Regionals in Lexington, one dream was clearly on his mind, and it was the dream that every great sprint hurdler carries with a quiet obsession; run in 13 seconds.
#inhemixedzoneJa’Koby Tharp certainly raised his game in the NCAA semifinals in the 110m hurdles. Ja’Kobe, who needed the NCAA semifinal pressure, ran a 12.75 legal +1.0 m/s.
Ja’Kobe took .05 off Aries Merritt’s world record of 12.80, which was set in 2012.
Last time in the world… pic.twitter.com/IfmcncMG2R
— RunBlogRun (@RunBlogRun) June 11, 2026
At the time, it was a natural next step for a young hurdler already on the move as one of the world’s most exciting athletes, as Tharp had the speed, rhythm, confidence and championship edge to make that hurdle feel close. He had already run 13.01, already won NCAA titles, already been on the world stage and already shown he could compete against the best without slowing down.
Then Eugene happened and his dream turned into something almost impossible to process. In the heat of the NCAA Championships, with the finals still to come at the end of the week, Tharpe produced one of the most spectacular performances the event has ever seen, storming to world record 12.75 seconds with legal 1.0 m/s wind and tdropping Aries Merritt’s legendary 12.80s mark from 2012.
The man chasing the 13-second barrier suddenly went 12.90, passed 12.80, and landed somewhere the barrier had never been before. The race itself looked brutal but smooth, a rare blend of power and precision that made the rest of the field look like they were competing in a different race. Tharpe came out of the blocks with purpose, came sharply to the first hurdle, and from that point each hurdle seemed to push him further away from the athletes around him.
His lead leg broke quickly, came down with power and carried him into the next step with almost no movement to waste, and that’s what makes him such a fearsome talent in this event. At 6-foot-4, he has the frame to give him the range and presence, and the technical quickness to get over obstacles like a smaller, sharper technician.
He’s tall enough to eat up the track, fast enough to attack all the obstacles, and calm enough to make the world record feel like part of a bigger journey rather than a final destination in the preliminary round.
This performance came out of nowhere. as Tharpe has been building his name bit by bit over the past few years. He won the world under-20 title in 2024, then won the NCAA indoor and outdoor titles, then won the US championships in a personal best of 13.01 before finishing sixth at the world championships after a long and demanding season.
He made an even sharper comeback this year, retaining his NCAA title in the 60m hurdles in March with a time of 7.32 that moved him to third on the world all-time list and confirmed that his development was proceeding at a breakneck pace.
Now Hayward Field in Eugene has become an even more hallowed ground for sprint hurdling. as the same track that already holds the women’s 100m hurdles world record in 2022 through Toby Amusan’s 12.12 now also holds the men’s 110m hurdles world record with Tharp’s 12.75.
The question remains whether Tharpe can go even lower. considering he said he stayed in the tank. Regardless of what happens in the final, the youngster has redefined the new era of men’s 110mH.
