In a 110m hurdles race, the first hurdle is 45 feet from the starting line. It was long taught by track and field coaches to take 8 steps to approach the first hurdle, a sweet spot that allowed an athlete to build up a great amount of speed without getting too close or too far from the barrier. Beginning in the mid-2000s, coaches began to seriously challenge this approach and implement a 7-step start for certain athletes, believing that a more powerful stride at the beginning could set up an athlete for a stronger finish at the end