Ja'Kobe Tharp facts for kids
.jpg)
Tharp at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships
|
||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Born | September 30, 2005 Murfreesboro, Tennessee, US |
|||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||
| Sport | Athletics | |||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Hurdles | |||||||||||||
| Achievements and titles | ||||||||||||||
| Personal best(s) | 60m hurdles 7.32 (2026) 110m hurdles: 12.75 (2026) WR (pending) |
|||||||||||||
|
Medal record
|
||||||||||||||
Ja'Kobe Tharp, born on September 30, 2005, is a super fast American athlete. He is famous for running in hurdle races. Hurdles are events where runners jump over barriers on the track.
As of 2026, Ja'Kobe holds the amazing world record in the 110 meters hurdles race! He set this record with a time of 12.75 seconds at the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships. He also won gold medals in the 110m hurdles at the 2025 American Championships and the 2024 World U20 Championships. Ja'Kobe was a top competitor at the 2025 World Championships. He also won the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships. For indoor races, he has the third fastest time ever in the 60 meters hurdles. This is the fastest time for any college athlete, at 7.32 seconds, set at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Contents
Ja'Kobe's Early Life and Family
Ja'Kobe Tharp was born in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He grew up first in Fulton, Kentucky. Later, his family moved, and he went to Rockvale High School in Tennessee. Sports run in his family! Both of his parents were basketball players. His dad, Jimmie Ware, played in high school. His mom, Aminda, played for colleges like Tennessee–Martin.
Ja'Kobe's Amazing Athletics Career
Becoming a World Champion in 2024
In June 2024, Ja'Kobe was a student at Auburn University. He came in second place at the NCAA Championships. This was a great achievement! He ended that season with his fastest time yet, 13.18 seconds. He set this "personal best" time while winning a big race in Gainesville, Florida. This time was also a new national record for athletes under 20 years old (U20). It broke a record that had stood since 1978!
Later in 2024, Ja'Kobe went to the 2024 World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima, Peru. He ran so well that he qualified for the final race. He even had the fastest time in the world for U20 athletes that year, at 13.11 seconds. In the final, he won the gold medal! He ran an incredible 13.05 seconds. This was his fastest time ever and another national U20 record.
Winning the American Championship in 2025
Ja'Kobe started 2025 strong! On March 15, 2025, he won the 2025 NCAA Indoor Championships. He finished the 60 meters hurdles in 7.45 seconds. Later, he ran the 110m hurdles in 13.15 seconds at the 2025 SEC Championships. This amazing time put him fifth on the NCAA all-time list.
In June 2025, Ja'Kobe won another big title. He took first place in the 110 meters hurdles at the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships. This race was in Eugene, Oregon, and he set a new personal best of 13.05 seconds. He also made his first appearance in the Diamond League, a series of top international track meets. He placed third at the 2025 Herculis event in Monaco.
On August 3, 2025, Ja'Kobe set another personal best of 13.01 seconds. He won the 2025 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon. This made him the American champion! In September 2025, he competed at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, Japan. He reached the final of the men's 110 meters hurdles and finished sixth in the world. At the end of 2025, he was a finalist for the prestigious Bowerman Award. This award goes to the best college track and field athlete.
Setting a World Record in 2026
The year 2026 has been incredible for Ja'Kobe! In February 2026, he won the 60 meters hurdles in 7.48 seconds at the SEC Indoor Championships. He finished just ahead of Ja'Qualon Scott. On March 13, at the 2026 NCAA Indoor Championships, Ja'Kobe ran his fastest 60m hurdles heat ever, 7.36 seconds. This was almost the fastest time in NCAA history!
The very next day, Ja'Kobe won the final race in an amazing 7.32 seconds. This broke the college record held by Grant Holloway! It also made him the second fastest American ever and third fastest worldwide in this event. In May 2026, Ja'Kobe continued his winning streak. He won the 110m hurdles at both the SEC Championships and NCAA East Regionals. This qualified him for the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Then came a truly historic moment! At the NCAA championship in Hayward Field, Eugene, he ran in the preliminary heats. He broke the world record in the 110m hurdles! His time was an unbelievable 12.75 seconds. This new record is currently waiting for official approval. He broke the old record of 12.80 seconds, set by Aries Merritt in 2012. This was the first world record set at the NCAA Championships since 1976! Ja'Kobe was very surprised by his achievement. He said he was "speechless." Just a few days later, on June 12, Ja'Kobe won the final race too. He ran 12.90 seconds, even though he was running against a strong wind!
