hurdle race vs hurdling

hurdle race and hurdling both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
hurdle race	Yes	No	No	No
hurdling	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, hurdle race and hurdling are synonyms defined as:

hurdle race and hurdling: a footrace in which contestants must negotiate a series of hurdles

Other synonyms of hurdle race include hurdles.

hurdle race (noun)	hurdling (noun)
a footrace in which contestants must negotiate a series of hurdles	a footrace in which contestants must negotiate a series of hurdles