55 metres

55 metres is a sprint event in track and field. It is a relatively uncommon non-championship event for indoor track and field. The history of the event lies in the 60-yard dash, which is about 5 inches shorter than 55 metres. Since the 1960s almost all countries have used metric measurements for track and field, hence the standard sprint distances for indoor competition have been 50 metres and 60 metres.

The single exception to this was the United States, which continued to use imperial measurements. In the 1980s efforts were made to switch track and field in the United States to use metric measurements and the 55 metres was adopted as a close equivalent to 60 yards. The NCAA Indoor Championships featured the event from 1984 to 1998 and the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships featured the event from 1987 to 1990.[1][2][3] Subsequently the 55 metres were dropped from American championships in favour of the international standard of 60 metres. Since the late 1990s there have been very few significant open competitions over 55 metres and the event remains something of a historic anomaly. The distance is still frequently run in junior (below college) meets.

All-time top 25

Indoor results only. Hand-timed results are excluded

The websites of World Athletics[4] and tilastopaja.net[5] are often used to generate lists of top performers. However, the data in these sites is not complete before about 1998 and, as noted above, much of the championship activity in this event (and hence best performances) were before this time. Hence a better source of data is the Track and Field News website.[6]

  • A = affected by altitude

Men

  • Updated February 2023
Rank Time Athlete Nationality Date Place Ref
1 5.99 A Obadele Thompson  Barbados 22 February 1997 Colorado Springs
2 6.00 Lee McRae  United States 14 March 1986 Oklahoma City
3 6.02 A Leo Myles-Mills  Ghana 22 February 1997 Colorado Springs
4 6.03 Sam Graddy  United States 14 March 1986 Oklahoma City
6.03 [a] Carl Lewis  United States 5 February 1983 Dallas
6.03+ Christian Coleman  United States 11 February 2023 New York City [7]
7 6.04 André Cason  United States 9 March 1990 Indianapolis
6.04 A Ato Boldon  Trinidad and Tobago 1 February 1997 Flagstaff
9 6.05 Brian Cooper  United States 13 February 1988 East Rutherford
6.05 [a] Stanley Floyd  United States 31 January 1981 Dallas
11 6.06 Tim Harden  United States 9 March 1996 Indianapolis
Emmit King  United States 26 February 1988 New York City
Fred Johnson  United States 16 March 1985 Fargo
6.06 [a] Houston McTear  United States 24 February 1978 New York City
6.06 A Marcus Brunson  United States 20 February 1999 Reno
Felix Andam  Ghana 28 February 1998 Colorado Springs
Syan Williams  Jamaica 14 February 1998 Colorado Springs
Keith Williams  United States 15 February 1997 Colorado Springs
19 6.07 Leonard Scott  United States 20 February 1999 Gainesville
Ousmane Diarra  Mali 10 February 1996 Ames
Raghib Ismail  United States 8 February 1991 West Lafayette
Ray Stewart  Jamaica 11 March 1989 Indianapolis
Ron Brown  United States 4 February 1984 Dallas
6.07 A Obadiah Cooper  United States 21 February 1998 Flagstaff
25 6.08 Marvin Bracy  United States 29 January 2012 Gainesville
Michael Green  Jamaica 14 March 1992 Indianapolis
Phil Epps  United States 5 March 1983 Dallas
Rod Richardson  United States 13 March 1982 Pontiac
James Sanford  United States 20 February 1981 San Diego
6.08 A Bernard Williams  United States 21 February 1998 Colorado Springs

Women

  • Updated February 2023
Rank Time Athlete Nationality Date Place Ref
1 6.55 [a] Evelyn Ashford  United States 26 February 1982 New York City
Jeanette Bolden  United States 21 February 1986 Los Angeles
3 6.56 Gwen Torrence  United States 14 March 1987 Oklahoma City
4 6.57 [a] Alice Brown  United States 22 February 1985 New York City
6.57+ Aleia Hobbs  United States 11 February 2023 New York City [8]
6 6.58 Dawn Sowell  United States 26 February 1989 Baton Rouge
Beatrice Utondu-Okoye  Nigeria 11 February 1990 Monroe, North Carolina
6.58+ Tamari Davis  United States 11 February 2023 New York City [9]
9 6.60 [a] Chandra Cheeseborough  United States 5 February 1983 Dallas
10 6.61 Michelle Finn  United States 23 February 1990 New York City
11 6.62 [a] Merlene Ottey  Jamaica 13 March 1982 Cedar Falls, Iowa
Marlies Göhr  East Germany 28 February 1986 New York City
6.62+ Marybeth Sant-Price  United States 11 February 2023 New York City [10]
14 6.63+ Mikiah Brisco  United States 11 February 2023 New York City [11]
15 6.64 [a] Lyudmila Storozhkova  Soviet Union 3 March 1979 New York City
6.64 Anelia Nuneva  Bulgaria 27 February 1987 New York City
17 6.65 [a] Florence Griffith  United States 8 February 1985 Inglewood
Nelli Cooman  Netherlands 30 January 1987 New York City
6.65 Savatheda Fynes  Bahamas 8 March 1997 Indianapolis
20 6.66 Carlette Guidry  United States 10 March 1990 Indianapolis
Michelle Freeman  Jamaica 30 January 1993 Johnson City
22 6.67 [a] Angela Bailey  Canada 28 February 1986 New York City
6.67+ Shawnti Jackson  United States 29 January 2022 New York City [12]
11 February 2023 [13]
24 6.68 Chryste Gaines  United States 14 March 1992 Indianapolis
6.68 A Aleisha Latimer  United States 19 January 1996 Boulder, Colorado
Peta-Gaye Dowdie  Jamaica 6 February 1988 Colorado Springs
6.68 Angela Williams  United States 15 March 1998 Roxberry Crossing

Season's bests

Men

Year Mark Athlete Place
1978 6.06 [a]  Houston McTear (USA) New York City
1979 6.10 [a] A  Jerome Deal (USA) Albuquerque
1980 6.10 [a]  Herkie Walls (USA) Fort Worth
 Curtis Dickey (USA) New York City
1981 6.05 [a]  Stanley Floyd (USA) Dallas
1982 6.08  Rod Richardson (USA) Pontiac
1983 6.03 [a]  Carl Lewis (USA) Dallas
1984 6.07 [a]  Emmit King (USA) Johnson City
 Ron Brown (USA) Dallas
1985 6.06  Fred Johnson (USA) Fargo
1986 6.00  Lee McRae (USA) Oklahoma City
1987 6.04  Lee McRae (USA) East Rutherford
1988 6.05  Brian Cooper (USA) East Rutherford
1989 6.07  Ray Stewart (JAM) Indianapolis
1990 6.04  Andre Cason (USA) Indianapolis
1991 6.07  Raghib Ismail (USA) West Lafayette
1992 6.08  Michael Green (JAM) Indianapolis
1993 6.10  Michael Green (JAM) Johnson City
1994 6.09  Mark Witherspoon (USA) Cedar Falls
1995 6.13  Phil Riley (USA) Gainesville
1996 6.06  Tim Harden (USA) Indianapolis
1997 5.99 A  Obadele Thompson (BAR) Colorado Springs
1998 6.06 A  Felix Andam (GHA) Colorado Springs
 Syan Williams (JAM)
1999 6.06 A  Marcus Brunson (USA) Reno
2000 6.11  Ricardo Shaw (USA) Gainesville
2001 6.10  Leonard Scott (USA) Knoxville
2002 6.14 A  Ephion Jackson (USA) Reno
2003 6.10  Mickey Grimes (USA) Los Angeles
2004 6.20  Chris Johnson (USA) Jonesboro
 Ricardo Shaw (USA) Gainesville
2005 6.19  Tyree Gailes (USA) Lubbock
2006 6.12  Joshua Norman (USA) Fresno
2007 6.14  Greg Bolden (USA) Gainesville
2008 6.10  Dallas Robinson (USA) Maysville
2009 6.17  Josh Norman (USA) Fresno
2010 6.20  Delannie Spriggs (USA) Greencastle
 Keyth Talley (USA) Murfreesboro
2011 6.09  Lorenzo Pooler (USA) Southern Pines
2012 6.08  Marvin Bracy (USA) Gainesville
2013 6.16  John Landy (USA) Brea
2014 6.11  Odean Skeen (JAM) Lubbock
2015 6.09  Marvin Bracy (USA) Gainesville
2016 6.17  Blake Smith (USA) Cape Girardeau
2017 6.24  Dawson Lack (USA) Cheney
2018 6.24  Tatenda Tsumba (ZIM) Ogden
2019 6.26  William Henderson (USA) State College
2023 6.03+  Christian Coleman (USA) New York City

Women

Year Mark Athlete Place
1978 6.73 [a]  DeAndra Carney (USA) Inglewood
1979 6.64 [a]  Lyudmila Storozhkova (USSR) New York City
1980 6.77 [a]  Evelyn Ashford (USA) New York City
 Brenda Morehead (USA) New York City
1981 6.63 [a]  Alice Brown (USA) Dallas
1982 6.55 [a]  Evelyn Ashford (USA) New York City
1983 6.56 [a]  Evelyn Ashford (USA) Los Angeles
1984 6.63 [a]  Alice Brown (USA) New York City
1985 6.57 [a]  Alice Brown (USA) New York City
1986 6.55 [a]  Jeanette Bolden (USA) Los Angeles
1987 6.56  Gwen Torrence (USA) Oklahoma City
1988 6.60  Gwen Torrence (USA) East Rutherford
1989 6.58  Dawn Sowell (USA) Baton Rouge
1990 6.58  Beatrice Utondu (Nigeria) Monroe, North Carolina
1991 6.70  Carlette Guidry (USA) Johnson City
1992 6.66  Gwen Torrence (USA) Johnson City
1993 6.66  Michelle Freeman (Jamaica) Johnson City
1994 6.70  Holli Hyche (USA) Indianapolis
1995 6.60  Gwen Torrence (USA) Johnson City
1996 6.68 A  Aleisha Latimer (USA) Boulder, Colorado
1997 6.65  Savatheda Fynes (BAH) Indianapolis
1998 6.68 A  Peta-Gaye Dowdie (JAM) Colorado Springs
1999 6.71  Debbie Ferguson McKenzie (BAH) Gainesville
2000 6.69  Julia O'Neal (USA) Knoxville
2001 6.78  Monique Tubbs (USA) Gainesville
2002 6.79  Tayna Lawrence (JAM) Gainesville
2003 6.73  Elva Goulbourne (JAM) Gainesville
 Angela Williams (USA) Los Angeles
 Muna Lee (USA) Gainesville
2004 6.70  Lauryn Williams (USA) Gainesville
2005 6.74  Fana Ashby (TTO) Gainesville
 Toyin Olupona (CAN) Knoxville
2006 6.71  Kerron Stewart (JAM) Gainesville
2007 6.71  Nolle Graham (JAM) Gainesville
2008 6.80  Angela Williams (USA) Gainesville
 Lakecia Ealey (USA) Gainesville
2009 6.69  Tianna Bartoletta (USA) Gainesville
2010 6.74  Sheri-Ann Brooks (JAM) Gainesville
2011 6.81  Jura Levy (JAM) Lubbock
2012 6.73  Shayla Mahan (USA) Columbia
2013 6.73  Sheri-Ann Brooks (JAM) Gainesville
2014 6.75  Staphanie Kalu (NGR) Lubbock
2015 6.75  Tahesia Harrigan-Scott (IVB) Gainesville
2016 6.84 A  Jerayah Davis (USA) Laramie
2017 6.73 A  Jerayah Davis (USA) Laramie
2018 6.73+  Tamari Davis (USA) New York City
2019 6.75 A  Jerayah Davis (USA) Laramie
2023 6.57+  Aleia Hobbs (USA) New York City

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y Converted from a time for the slightly shorter 60 yards by adding 0.01

References

  1. ^ "History of NCAA Division I Men's Indoor Track and Field Championships" (PDF). NCAA. 2013.
  2. ^ "History of NCAA Division I Women's Indoor Track and Field Championships" (PDF). NCAA. 2013.
  3. ^ "USATF Indoor Champions". USATF. 2018.
  4. ^ "55 Metres Men". World Athletics. 4 April 2020.
  5. ^ "All-time men's best 55m". tilastopaja.net. 4 April 2020.
  6. ^ "T&FN YEARLY & ALL-TIME LISTS". Track and Field News. 4 April 2020.
  7. ^ "55m Dash en-route Results". Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). 11 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  8. ^ "55m Dash en-route Results". Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). 11 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  9. ^ "55m Dash en-route Results". Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). 11 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  10. ^ "55m Dash en-route Results". Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). 11 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  11. ^ "55m Dash en-route Results". Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). 11 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
  12. ^ "Shawnti Jackson 55m en route Result". milesplit.com. 29 January 2022. Retrieved 16 March 2022.
  13. ^ "55m Dash en-route Results". Track & Field Results Reporting System (TFRRS). 11 February 2023. Retrieved 26 February 2023.
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