College Hurdler Ja'Kobe Tharp Breaks 14-Year World Record

A college athlete from Tennessee just rewrote track and field history in the most unexpected way possible.

Ja'Kobe Tharp, a 20-year-old Auburn University hurdler from Murfreesboro, clocked a stunning 12.75 seconds in the 110m hurdles semifinals at the NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships on June 10. That lightning-fast time broke Aries Merritt's world record of 12.80 seconds, a mark that had stood untouched since the 2012 London Olympics.

The accomplishment is even more remarkable when you consider where Tharp started. Just ten months earlier, his personal best of 13.01 seconds ranked him 32nd all-time in the event. Now he's number one in the world.

"I knew I had that in my legs," Tharp told reporters after the race. "But it wasn't on my bingo card before this meet, not at all."

The young hurdler said he felt fast during the race but had no idea he was making history. He thought he might have run 12.97 or 12.98 seconds when he crossed the finish line. When he saw 12.75 on the clock, his reaction said it all: "I'm speechless, seriously."

The crowd at Eugene's Hayward Field erupted in thunderous applause as they witnessed one of the most remarkable performances in collegiate athletics history. Tharp's final three hurdles felt "kind of iffy" to him, but somehow he maintained enough speed to break a record many thought would stand for years to come.

Why This Inspires

What makes Tharp's achievement so compelling isn't just the record itself. It's his humble response and laser focus on what comes next. Instead of celebrating endlessly, he immediately turned his attention to the NCAA final just two days away.

"I'm trying to focus on what's here in front of me," he said. "I've still got to finish it in two days, so I'm still focused on that."

If Tharp wins that final, he'll become the first athlete since Olympic champion Grant Holloway in 2019 to complete back-to-back NCAA hurdle sweeps. Before the semifinal, he said he wanted to "send that message that I'm here and they gotta come see me."

Message received, and the whole world is watching now.