The 3,000 meter steeplechase is defined as 'a running race in which runners must clear hurdles and water jumps.' For that reason, it may hold the distinction as the most unique event in track and field.
- According to Alison Bishop, the race is simply 'different' from everything else in track and field
These four student-athletes compete in the steeplechase for the Georgia State track and field team — they are the Panther steeplechasers.
The four runners have combined to win the event in seven consecutive outdoor meets and ten of the past eleven, dating back to last season, making the event one of the most successful events for the GSU team.
Each of these individuals have won the event at least once in that time and none of them have finished outside the top-10 during that time.
But what makes the steeplechase so different from all other races on the track?
- The odd distance of 3,000 meters is just under two miles, or an uneven seven laps around a regulation 400 meter track
- Littered around the track at wide intervals are three 30-inch wooden hurdles
- A fourth obstacle is the appropriately-named 'water jump' — a hurdle followed by a pit of water
“It's very tiring because you have to get over the barriers,” said Bishop. “In a normal 5K, you can just keep running. In this event, you have a barrier in front of you. Either you're going to fall on your face or suck it up and get over it.”
The most eye-catching difference in the race is undoubtedly that water jump. The water pit slopes upward so that the further out the runners jump, the less water they are falling into. Each race is full of competitors clearing the hurdle only to come splashing down on the other side.
“The water pit is intimidating, but I enjoy it,” said Sinclair. “The barriers give you something to do during the monotonous laps. You have to focus on not falling flat on your face.”
“The first time you get over the water barrier is the worst, because your shoes get all wet and nasty,” said Myers. “After the first time, it's not as bad. You get used to it. Plus if you're good, you don't get that wet.”
The long distance combined with the barriers presents a unique challenge to runners. For that reason, the steeplechase requires the endurance of a distance race and the acceleration and strength seen in other hurdle events.
“It's a different racing tactic,” said Bishop. “It's about conserving your energy over the whole race. In a straight distance race, you can just go and hold on. In the steeple, you have to accelerate over the hurdle and then decelerate.”
Even the training for the steeplechase is different than most traditional distance events because it combines such distinct elements. The four Georgia State student-athletes are distance-runners by trade, but work on hurdles and shorter distances in practice to prepare for the steeplechase.
“It takes coordination and strength,” said Myers. “If you die during a steeple, you die hard. In a normal race, you can just walk across the finish line. In this race, you still have to get over the hurdles no matter how tired you are.”
“It's a different type of exhaustion,” said Sinclair. “You get tired in a different way that you would be in a 5K. If you're too tired or try too hard, there is a chance that you could fall and actually hurt yourself. You have to train on pacing yourself differently.”
The inexperience of some runners can lead to some humorous tumbles and some less-amusing injuries. This only further stresses the importance of proper training for the event.
“Distance runners don't usually have enough coordination to get over the barriers,” said Showalter. “You can always tell the new people to the race just by how they approach the hurdles.”
After running a personal-best 11:04.91 at the Yellow Jacket Invite, Sinclair has the best time in the event in the Sun Belt Conference this season. Myer's fastest time of 11:24.81 is fourth in the conference, while Bishop is fifth with a time of 11:34.53.
The defending CAA champion in the steeplechase, Showalter has run a better time than her teammates, but the senior redshirting the 2013 outdoor season to retain a year of eligibility for outdoor track.
Both Bishop and Myers were accepted to compete in the prestigious Florida Relays in Gainesville, Fla. this weekend. They will face a talented pool of student-athletes from a number of top teams.
But they do so with proper preparation, extensive experience and the knowledge that they are competing in perhaps the most odd event in the entire track meet.
One further fun fact about the steeplechase — it was originally designed for horses, which should help to explain all of those jumps. Horses aside, right now the steeplechase is being dominated by some Panthers.
For a visual illustration of the steeplechase, check out the photo album of the Panthers competing in the steeplechase at the 2013 Yellow Jacket Invite last weekend in Atlanta.
