Official timing and meet reports confirm both marks, currently pending standard World Athletics ratification.
Alison dos Santos breaks hurdles world record in 45.80 seconds
American Olympic champion Masai Russell matched the feat minutes later as Zurich delivered two world marks in one night.
In a nutshell
The 2026 Weltklasse Zurich meeting produced a rare double world record within 40 minutes as Alison dos Santos won the men's 400m hurdles in 45.80 seconds and Masai Russell took the women's 100m hurdles in 12.09 seconds. Both athletes defeated the reigning world record holders in their respective races under legal conditions, sending both marks into World Athletics' standard administrative ratification review.
Highlights
- Alison dos Santos set a men's 400m hurdles world record of 45.80 seconds, lowering the prior mark by 0.14 seconds.
- Karsten Warholm finished second in the Zurich 400m hurdles race in 46.69 seconds.
- Masai Russell broke the women's 100m hurdles world record in 12.09 seconds under legal 0.0 m/s wind conditions.
- Tobi Amusan placed second in the women's sprint hurdles with a season-best 12.23 seconds.
- World Athletics placed both marks into standard post-race ratification for timing and anti-doping checks.
Men's 400m hurdles times
secondsThe findingAlison dos Santos lowered the previous world record by 0.14 seconds.
- Comparison of Alison dos Santos' winning world record against Karsten Warholm's previous mark and his second-place Zurich time.
- seconds — Race completion time measured by calibrated photo-finish equipment
- Shows the progression of global 400m hurdles speed as the new record awaits formal ratification.
Women's 100m hurdles times
secondsThe findingMasai Russell clipped 0.03 seconds off the previous world standard.
- Comparison of Masai Russell's new record against Tobi Amusan's 2022 mark and her runner-up finish in Zurich.
- seconds — Race completion time under legal zero wind conditions
- Demonstrates the reset of the women's sprint hurdle benchmark under legal track conditions.
From the Editor’s Diary
Direct competition against reigning record holders on fast tracks continues to drive unprecedented breakthroughs in global hurdling.
Who's involved
Alison dos Santos
Brazilian 2022 world champion hurdler
goal → Cement dominance in the 400m hurdles by holding the world record ahead of top rivals
Masai Russell
American reigning Paris 2024 Olympic champion
goal → Establish a lasting legacy as the fastest women's 100m hurdler in history
Karsten Warholm
Norwegian Olympic champion and former 400m hurdles record holder
goal → Reclaim top global form and defend long-standing hurdle dominance
Tobi Amusan
Nigerian former women's 100m hurdles world record holder
goal → Compete at the highest level and recover the global title
World Athletics
International governing body for track and field
goal → Maintain competition integrity by ratifying timing, wind and anti-doping data
In short
TL;DR: Track and field history shifted twice in 40 minutes at Zurich as Alison dos Santos and Masai Russell broke two hurdles world records.
Q: How did the Zurich meeting reset world hurdle marks?
- Alison dos Santos clocked 45.80 seconds to lower the men's 400-metre hurdles world record by 0.14 seconds.
How it unfolded
Dual world records reshape global hurdles at Letzigrund Stadium
Zurich's Letzigrund stadium became the stage for two historic runs on Thursday, August 27, 2026, when Alison dos Santos ran 45.80 seconds in the men's 400m hurdles and Masai Russell followed shortly after with 12.09 seconds in the women's 100m hurdles. Global sports outlets immediately highlighted both performances as new world records pending formal confirmation.
Historic runs clear track conditions and meet scrutiny
Momentum shifted immediately to the women's sprint hurdles after dos Santos defeated Warholm, with Russell stepping into the blocks under dead calm 0.0 m/s wind to unseat Amusan. Meet officials, Diamond League organizers, and international media confirmed legal conditions and verified photo-finish timing across both races.
Where things stand
Both marks remain official race results and top global times from the 2026 Weltklasse Zurich meeting. World Athletics has entered the performances into its standard administrative pipeline, reviewing timing calibrations, course dimensions, and anti-doping samples before finalizing the records in the global registry.