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As the track and field events get underway at the Paris Olympics, here’s an explanation of the steeplechase.
PARIS, France — The steeplechase is one of the best track and field events held at the Summer Olympics.
The men’s 3,000-meter steeplechase final will be held Wednesday, Aug. 7, at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The women’s 3,000-meter steeplechase final is scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 6.
What is the steeplechase?
If you’re not impressed by the concept of just running around a track really fast a few times, then the steeplechase might be the event for you.
Steeplechase is 7.5 laps around a track for 3,000 meters. There are four 30-inch barriers that runners have to jump over throughout the track and then one water pit.
The first half of a lap of the steeplechase is a casual run, and the hurdles begin with seven laps to go. When runners reach the water, they fly through the air and attempt to clear the 10-foot water pit and land on the other side.
The runners keep running over the hurdles before crossing the water again, for a total of seven laps of this obstacle course.
A 3,000-meter steeplechase has 28 barriers and seven water jumps in total.
University of Colorado Buffaloes legend Emma Coburn — who won a bronze medal in the 3,000 meter steeplechase at the 2016 Rio Olympics — shared a helpful tutorial in 2021 about how the event works. To really drive her point home, Coburn used Legos.
Coburn missed the Olympic Trials in June, and a potential bid for a fourth Olympics, after breaking her right ankle in May in her first race of 2024.
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