Patent ID: 7785233

Claim:
A hurdle, which comprises: a) a plurality of elongated members, which comprise: i) a substantially horizontal crossbar; and ii) a plurality of substantially vertical legs having upper ends that support the crossbar at all times in a stationary manner at a constant height above the ground when the hurdle is being used by a user to perform athletic activities; b) at least one of the elongated members being split into separate sections that are disposed in an aligned, end-to-end orientation extending in a straight line along a single common axis of elongation when the hurdle is in an operative position and that are disposed in a nonaligned, end-to-end orientation extending along a plurality of different axes of elongation when the hurdle is in an inoperative position such that the separate sections no longer extend in a straight line relative to each other when the hurdle is in the inoperative position, wherein the separate sections are movable from the operative position thereof to the inoperative position thereof during use of the hurdle by inadvertent impact of a foot or other body portion of the user with the crossbar as the user attempts to clear the crossbar by hurdling or jumping over the crossbar; and c) an elastic member connecting and bridging between the separate sections of the split elongated member, the elastic member applying a force to the separate sections that biases the separate sections inwardly towards each other along the common axis of elongation for urging the separate sections back into their aligned, end-to-end orientation.