Breaking Barriers: A History of Track & Field Sprinting Records (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9798278075523)

How fast can humans really run-and how did we learn to measure it fairly?

Breaking Barriers traces the history of sprinting through the records that defined it. From the shift from yards to meters, to the rise of indoor track, to the adoption of fully automatic timing, this book explores how sprint records came to represent more than speed alone.

Rather than focusing on fame or spectacle, this history examines the systems behind performance: how distance, timing, surfaces, and rules shaped what could be recognized as "fast," and why some records endured while others disappeared.

Through careful analysis and narrative clarity, Breaking Barriers shows that sprint records are not just achievements. They are agreements-between athletes, technology, and governing bodies-about what counts as truth under pressure.

Written for curious readers who want more than highlights and headlines, this book offers a measured look at human speed, fairness, and the limits that continue to challenge both.