Masai Russell Is Getting Faster at the Right Time — And the 100m Hurdles May Be Hers to Own

Masai Russell Is Getting Faster at the Right Time — And the 100m Hurdles May Be Hers to Own

The women’s 100m Hurdles has always been keenly contested in recent years. The races are decided by hundredths of a second, and a clipped barrier can end a dream. Masai Russell has figured out how to stay calm, focused, and, most of all, fast. At the second leg of the Grand Slam Track in Miramar, she ran the fastest race of her life, and one of the best run by any woman in history.

Russell clocked 12.17s to break the American record in Miami, passing Kendra Harrison’s 12.20 mark from 2016. In doing so, the 24-year-old became the second-fastest woman ever in the event, trailing only Nigeria’s Tobi Amusan, who set the world record at 12.12 in Oregon two summers ago. Behind Russell was Tia Jones, who also ran the race of her life in 12.19 to become the third-fastest woman ever.

For Russell, the record didn’t just come out of nowhere, even if it caught some off guard. Her outdoor season hadn’t given any major signs of something this big until now.

She started the year strong indoors, going undefeated and winning the U.S. title. She skipped World Indoors, perhaps preserving her body for later. But once the outdoor season started, her results were modest. A fifth-place finish in Kingston and only one win in three outdoor appearances, her best being a 12.74 at Drake into a headwind, left plenty of questions. Then came Friday.

“I wasn’t expecting that,” Russell said after the race, laughing slightly as if she still hadn’t processed what she’d just done. “I always tell y’all when it’s time for me to run fast, I love to run fast. I just went out there to compete.”

The 100m hurdles doesn’t allow much room for error. Ten barriers, all equally spaced, demand a perfect blend of speed, timing, and poise. One mistake, one rushed step, one off rhythm can blow the whole thing up. That’s why races like Friday’s are so rare. Everything clicked for Russell, including the wind.

Running in the first race of the evening, in 80-degree Florida heat with a perfect +2.0 m/s wind at her back, Russell found her rhythm early and kept it through the finish. She didn’t separate herself by much; Jones was right there, but it was enough. That kind of competition may have been what pushed her over the edge. Just 0.02 seconds separated them at the line.

What’s most remarkable about Russell’s run is that it didn’t come from someone just starting to figure things out; it came from someone who’s been steadily building to this moment. In 2023, she set the NCAA record of 12.36 while running for the University of Kentucky. She then went on to win Olympic Gold in Paris in 2024 in her rookie professional season. Later that year, she ran 12.25 to move up to fifth on the all-time list. Each performance nudged her a little closer to this result.

There’s a steadiness in how Russell carries herself now. Not arrogant, not aloof—just locked in. In Miramar, she didn’t flinch. She lined up and ran like someone who believed something special was possible, even if she didn’t fully expect it.

That belief can carry an athlete a long way, especially in a discipline where doubt can creep in with every hurdle. Russell’s technique is sound, but it’s her mindset that’s separating her now. She’s no longer just another American hurdler in a crowded field. She’s the best one. And she might just be getting started.

The women’s 100m hurdles is arguably the deepest sprint event in U.S. track and field. Tia Jones, who finished just behind Russell and now ranks third all-time, had to come back from an ACL tear in March. Kendra Harrison, the former world record-holder, finished fourth in that same race in 12.40. It’s a loaded event with no room for missteps.

But Masai Russell, on a humid Florida evening, managed to find space where there was none. In a race where the margin between first and third was barely two-tenths of a second, she found a way to be ahead of everyone—and almost everyone in history.

No loud celebration followed her finish. Just a smile and a few calm words. Russell has always said she runs best when she’s not overthinking it. That may be her greatest advantage: her ability to run free even in the tightest of spaces.

The American record is hers now. The Olympic title already was. And there are still months left in the season.