Auburn's Ja'kobe Tharp breaks world record in Eugene hurdles semifinal

Hayward Field delivered another global headline for TrackTown USA when Auburn’s Ja'kobe Tharp ran 12.75 seconds in the men’s 110-meter hurdles semifinals and broke one of track and field’s most stubborn marks. The official time nudged past the scoreboard’s first read of 12.76 and shattered Aries Merritt’s 12.80 world record, which had stood since Sept. 7, 2012.

The performance came Wednesday, June 10, during the 2026 NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships in Eugene, and it did something rare even for a stadium built for big moments: it turned a semifinal into the meet’s signature event. NCAA live updates noted that the record came with one round still left to race, a reminder that Tharp was not only chasing a title but also rewriting the standard in the middle of a championship run.

For Eugene, the record mattered well beyond one lane on the track. Hayward Field has long served as the city’s showcase venue, and a world-record run on a national stage reinforces the pitch that Lane County can still host the sport’s biggest nights. When Hayward draws Baylor, Kansas State, Texas A&M and the rest of the NCAA field for the June 10-13 meet, the city gains more than attention: it gets packed stands, a stronger spotlight on campus and more foot traffic for nearby hotels, restaurants and shops built around championship weekends.

Tharp arrived in Eugene as the reigning NCAA outdoor 110-meter hurdles champion, and Auburn’s momentum was already visible before he stepped into the blocks. Earlier in the meet, the Tigers set a new men’s 4x100 collegiate record, adding to a championship that has become a showcase for Auburn speed. Tharp, a junior from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, also entered with back-to-back NCAA indoor 60-meter hurdles titles, which made the world record even more striking as a title-defense performance on one of college track’s biggest stages.

The run also put Eugene back at the center of the sport’s history, not just its present. World record performances are scarce anywhere, and they are even more valuable in a city that has built its identity around hosting them. For fans inside Hayward Field and for the businesses that benefit when the stadium becomes the center of the track world, Tharp’s 12.75 seconds was more than a qualifying time. It was another proof point that Eugene can still produce the kind of moment the rest of the sport watches.