Steeplechase

There are several track events today that runners compete in. every year there seems to be a new challenge added to the roster and runners dying to give it a go. One of these challenge races is known at the steeplechase. The steeplechase is a 3000 meter event. Running 3000 meters however isn’t the only challenge. Throughout the race there are a total of 35 barriers to overcome.

The barriers in and of them selves are quite interesting. These include 28 hurdles that the runners have to jump and 7 water barriers that the runners have to pass through. The number of laps of the steeplechase can vary because sometimes the water barriers are on the inside of the track rather than the outside.

The history of this event is traced back to Britain. Runners would have to run from town to town. The church steeple in each town was used as the marker. The water barriers and hurdles are representative of the obstacles the runners would quite often encounter during their race from town to town. Many times stone walls, creeks and even cattle would have to be traversed for the runner to make it successfully to their next destination.

Steeplechase training is long and hard. One has to be a combination of crazy and dedicated to want to participate in this event. It takes a high level of commitment, endurance, agility and strength to be able to run and complete the steeplechase.

The steeplechase is an official event. The current world record for 3000 meter men’s steeplechase is 7; 53. This record has been in place since 2004 but runners every year get closer and closer to claiming this title as their own.

For runners who are looking for an interesting challenge, the steeplechase should fulfil their wildest dreams. It is a combination of distance running and hurdles meant to commemorate the runs through town of days gone by. It takes intense commitment, training and a little bit of insanity to want to run the steeplechase. However, thousands go for it every year with varying levels of success and failure.