Everything about Steeplechase Athletics totally explained
The
steeplechase is an obstacle race in
athletics, which derives its name from the
steeplechase in horse racing.
Rules
The length of the race is usually 3000 m. The number of laps depends on whether the water jump is located to the inside of lane one or to the outside of lane eight or nine. Each runner encounters a total of 28 barriers over the course of the race, as well as 7 water jumps. According to
IAAF rules, barrier height is 914 mm (36 in) for men and 762 mm (30 in) for women. Unlike those used in
hurdling, steeplechase barriers don't fall over if hit; some runners actually step on top of them. Four barriers are spaced around the track on level ground, and a fifth barrier at the top of the second turn (fourth barrier in a complete lap from the finish line) is the water jump, which consists of a barrier followed by a pit of water which is 3.66 m (12 ft) long and slopes upward from 700 mm (27.6 in) deep at the barrier end to even with the surface of the track. This slope rewards runners with more hurdling ability, because a longer jump results in a shallower landing in the water.
History
The event originated in the British Isles. Runners raced from one town's steeple to the next. The steeples were used as markers due to their visibility over long distances. Along the way runners inevitably had to jump creeks and low stone walls separating estates. The modern athletics event originates from a two-mile cross country steeplechase that formed part of the
Oxford University sports (in which many of the modern athletics events were founded) in 1860. It was replaced in 1865 by an event over barriers on a flat field, which became the modern steeplechase. It has been an Olympic event since the inception of the modern
Olympics, though with varying lengths. Since the
1968 Summer Olympics the steeplechase in the Olympics has been dominated by
Kenyan athletes, including a clean sweep of the medals at the
2004 Games.
The steeplechase for women (3,000 metres long, but with lower barriers than for the men) made its first major championship appearance at the
2005 World Championships in
Helsinki.
World Record Progression
The official world record in the 3000 m steeplechase for men is held by
Saif Saaeed Shaheen of
Qatar (formerly Stephen Cherono of
Kenya) at 7:53.63 and was set on
September 3,
2004 during the
Memorial van Damme in
Brussels. On
August 16,
2002 Brahim Boulami of
Morocco ran 7:53.17 but this hasn't been ratified by the
IAAF owing to Boulami being banned for two years in 2003 after testing positive for
EPO.
The first person to run the steeplechase in under eight minutes was
Moses Kiptanui of Kenya who ran it in 7:58.18 on August 16, 1995 in Zurich, Switzerland.
The official world record in the 3000 m steeplechase for women is held by
Gulnara Samitova of Russia at 9:01.59 and was set in 2003.
Men (Manual Timing)
Men (Electronic Timing)
Women (Electronic Timing)
European Record Progression
Best Year Performance
Men's Seasons Best (Outdoor)
Women's Seasons Best (Outdoor)
National records
Updated
2008-01-09
Top-25 performers
(Updated
January 9 2008.)
Further Information
Get more info on 'Steeplechase Athletics'.
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