Dice Hurdles Race Game: Rules, False Starts and Odds

Dice hurdles is a 110 m sprint over ten hurdles for two to eight athletes. Everyone starts on 14.0 seconds. One die decides your start, where a false start can cost you the race, and then you roll two dice for each of the ten hurdles: clear them cleanly, find a perfect rhythm, clip one or even fall. Add up the seconds, and the fastest time wins. A race takes about ten minutes.

What you need

• Three six-sided dice: one for the start and two for the hurdles. A dice roller works too.
• A score sheet with a row for each athlete and eleven small boxes: one for the start and one for each hurdle.
• A random name picker to draw the lanes.

Drawing the lanes

Put every athlete’s name into the random name picker and draw them one by one: the first name gets lane 1, the next lane 2, and so on. Lanes do not change anyone’s chance in this game, but drawing them makes the start feel like the real thing. Run the race in lane order.

How to play

1. Every athlete starts with a time of 14.0 seconds.
2. The start: roll one die and use the reaction chart. On a 1 you jumped the gun: roll again. A second 1 and you are disqualified.
3. The hurdles: roll two dice ten times, once for each hurdle, and add or take off time with the hurdle chart.
4. Add everything up to get your race time.
5. The fastest time wins. If two athletes have the same time, it is a photo finish: each rolls two dice, and the higher total wins.

This is a simple home version, not an official game. In the real men’s 110 m hurdles there are ten hurdles about 1.07 m high, and touching or knocking one over is usually allowed as long as it is not done on purpose, but it costs time. Real rules are much stricter on false starts than this game: at top competitions, a single false start normally means disqualification. The men’s world record is 12.80 seconds, set by Aries Merritt in 2012. The best possible time in this game is 12.9 seconds.

The reaction chart

In the first table, “Reaction die” is the number on the single die, “Start” is what happens, and “Chance” is the exact probability.

Each athlete is disqualified with a chance of 1 in 36. With eight athletes, at least one of them is disqualified in about 20% of races, so false starts are part of the drama.

The hurdle chart

In the next table, “Roll” is the total of the two hurdle dice, “Hurdle” is what happens at that hurdle, and “Chance” is the exact probability out of the 36 ways two dice can land.

Clean hurdles are the most common result, because the middle totals 6 to 9 come up most often, as our guide to dice probability explains. Still, ten hurdles is a lot: an athlete clips at least one hurdle in about 94% of races, and stays on their feet for all ten only about 75% of the time.

How fast will you run?

This table shows the race time of one athlete who is not disqualified. “Chance” is the exact probability of running that time or faster, rounded.

The average race time is about 14.6 seconds, and the most common time is 14.3 seconds. A single fall adds a full second, which usually ends any hope of winning.

What time wins?

With eight athletes, the winner is the fastest of all eight, leaving out disqualifications. In this table, “Chance” is the exact probability of each winning time, rounded.

Most races with eight athletes are won in 13.8 to 14.0 seconds. Times this close make photo finishes common, so keep the dice ready.

Tips

• Draw ten small hurdles across the score sheet and colour each one after it is cleared.
• Let the lane 1 athlete be the starter and say “On your marks, set, go!” before each start roll.
• For younger players, leave out falls: treat a roll of 2 as a clip.
• Keep each athlete’s best time as a personal record to beat next time.

Classroom ideas

• Decimals: add up the tenths of a second for each hurdle and check the race times.
• Probability: why is the chance of a disqualification 1 in 36? Multiply 1 in 6 by 1 in 6.
• Data: record every race time in the class and draw a dot plot. Where do most times bunch?
• Measurement: measure 1.07 m against a wall. Could you step over it, or would you need to jump?

Variations

• Strict start: use the real rule, where the first false start means disqualification.
• 400 m hurdles: start at 50 seconds and double every time change in the hurdle chart.
• Heats and final: run two heats of four, and the fastest four go to the final.
• Relay hurdles: teams of two each run five hurdles and add their times.

For a longer race, try our dice marathon, or take on three sports in a dice triathlon.

Want to race as a team? Try our dice relay race game, where every baton pass counts.

Want barriers on every lap and a water jump too? Try our dice steeplechase game.

FAQ

How do you play hurdles with dice?

Start on 14.0 seconds. Roll one die for the start, then two dice for each of the ten hurdles, adding or taking off time from the charts. The fastest time wins.

How many athletes can play?

Two to eight athletes, one for each lane.

What happens on a false start?

On a reaction roll of 1, roll again. A second 1 means disqualification, a chance of 1 in 36 for each athlete.

What is the fastest possible time?

12.9 seconds, with a rocket start and perfect rhythm at all ten hurdles.

What time usually wins?

With eight athletes, usually between 13.8 and 14.0 seconds.

How many hurdles are in a real 110 m hurdles race?

Ten, as in this game.