ON-TRACK HURDLE This drawing provides both visualization and specifications for hurdles placed on the track for a steeplechase and removed after competition. With this data, and its variances, it is possible for individuals or venue staff to construct such hurdles -- or they can be purchased ready-made from various manufacturers. The top bar thickness is 12.7cm (5 inches) square. The width is "at least" 3.96m (13 feet) and rules recommend that the first hurdle encountered in a race be at least 5m (16.4 feet) wide. Increased bar width provides more space for multiple runners, in a pack, to traverse hurdles. At ground level the hurdle rests on a base portion, one at each end of the hurdle, for which the length can range from 1.20m ( 3 feet 11.25 inches) to 1.40m (4 feet 7.25 inches). Each hurdle shall weigh between 80 kilograms (176.4 pounds) to 100 kilograms (220.4 pounds). That range permits a choice of materials, such as metal and/or wood, for construction. The top bar is painted white, then stripes of a contrasting color (such as black) are added. Each end must be white. Rules call for one end of the top bar to extend 30cm (11.8 inches) inside the inner edge of the track. This is depicted by the upper right portion of drawing. In other words, steeplers approaching a hurdle will see about a foot of the bar to the left of the track's curb. -- Drawing from German Federation. Text by James Fields.