55 metres


55 metres is a sprint event in track and field. It is a relatively uncommon non-championship event for indoor track and field. The history of the event lies in the 60-yard dash, which is about 5 inches shorter than 55 metres. Since the 1960s almost all countries have used metric measurements for track and field, hence the standard sprint distances for indoor competition have been 50 metres and 60 metres.
The single exception to this was the United States, which continued to use imperial measurements. In the 1980s efforts were made to switch track and field in the United States to used metric measurements and the 55 metres was adopted as a close equivalent to 60 yards. The NCAA Indoor Championships featured the event from 1984 to 1998 and the USA Track & Field Indoor Championships featured the event from 1987–1990. Subsequently the 55 metres were dropped from American championships in favour of the international standard of 60 metres. Since the late 1990s there have been very few significant competitions over 55 metres and the event remains something of a historic anomaly.

All-time top 25

Indoor results only. Hand-timed results are excluded
The websites of World Athletics and tilastopaja.net are often used to generate lists of top performers. However, the data in these sites is not complete before about 1998 and, as noted above, much of the championship activity in this event were before this time. Hence a better source of data is the Track and Field News website.
RankTimeAthleteNationalityDatePlaceRef
15.99 AObadele ThompsonBarbados22 February 1997Colorado Springs
26.00Lee McRaeUnited States14 March 1986Oklahoma City
36.02 ALeo Myles-MillsGhana22 February 1997Colorado Springs
46.03Sam GraddyUnited States14 March 1986Oklahoma City
46.03 Carl LewisUnited States5 February 1983Dallas
66.04André CasonUnited States9 March 1990Indianapolis
66.04 AAto BoldonTrinidad and Tobago1 February 1997Flagstaff
86.05Brian CooperUnited States13 February 1988East Rutherford
86.05 Stanley FloydUnited States31 January 1981Dallas
106.06Tim HardenUnited States9 March 1996Indianapolis
106.06Emmit KingUnited States26 February 1988New York City
106.06Fred JohnsonUnited States16 March 1985Fargo
106.06 Houston McTearUnited States24 February 1978New York City
106.06 AMarcus BrunsonUnited States20 February 1999Reno
106.06 AFelix AndamGhana28 February 1998Colorado Springs
106.06 ASyan WilliamsJamaica14 February 1998Colorado Springs
106.06 AKeith WilliamsUnited States15 February 1997Colorado Springs
186.07Leonard ScottUnited States20 February 1999Gainesville
186.07Ousmane DiarraMali10 February 1996Ames
186.07Raghib IsmailUnited States8 February 1991West Lafayette
186.07Ray StewartJamaica11 March 1989Indianapolis
186.07Ron BrownUnited States4 February 1984Dallas
186.07 AObadiah CooperUnited States21 February 1998Flagstaff
246.08Marvin BracyUnited States29 January 2012Gainesville
246.08Michael GreenJamaica14 March 1992Indianapolis
246.08Phil EppsUnited States5 March 1983Dallas
246.08Rod RichardsonUnited States13 March 1982Pontiac
246.08James SanfordUnited States20 February 1981San Diego
246.08 ABernard WilliamsUnited States21 February 1998Colorado Springs

Women

RankTimeAthleteNationalityDatePlaceRef
16.55 Evelyn AshfordUnited States26 February 1982New York City
16.55 Jeanette BoldenUnited States21 February 1986Los Angeles
36.56Gwen TorrenceUnited States14 March 1987Oklahoma City
46.57 Alice BrownUnited States22 February 1985New York City
56.58Dawn SowellUnited States26 February 1989Baton Rouge
56.58Beatrice Utondu-OkoyeNigeria11 February 1990Monroe, North Carolina
76.60 Chandra CheeseboroughUnited States5 February 1983Dallas
86.61Michelle FinnUnited States23 February 1990New York City
96.62 Merlene OtteyJamaica13 March 1982Cedar Falls, Iowa
96.62 Marlies GöhrEast Germany28 February 1986New York City
116.64 Lyudmila StorozhkovaUSSR3 March 1979New York City
116.64Anelia NunevaBulgaria27 February 1987New York City
136.65 Florence GriffithUnited States8 February 1985Inglewood
136.65 Nelli CoomanNetherlands30 January 1987New York City
136.65Savatheda FynesBahamas8 March 1997Indianapolis
166.66Carlette GuidryUnited States10 March 1990Indianapolis
166.66Michelle FreemanJamaica30 January 1993Johnson City
186.67 Angela BaileyCanada28 February 1986New York City
196.68Chryste GainesUnited States14 March 1992Indianapolis
196.68 AAleisha LatimerUnited States19 January 1996Boulder, Colorado
196.68 APeta-Gaye DowdieJamaica6 February 1988Colorado Springs
196.68Angela WilliamsUnited States15 March 1998Roxberry Crossing
236.69 Jackie Joyner-KerseeUnited States20 January 1989Los Angeles
236.69Esther JonesUnited States26 February 1989Baton Rouge
236.69D'Andre HillUnited States9 March 1996Indianapolis
236.69Julia O'NealUnited States18 February 2000Knoxville
236.69Tianna BartolettaUnited States24 January 2009Gainesville

Men

Women