While I ran around the track today, the track team was doing their workout (purrr runner guys) and a group of them were doing hurdles and steeplechase. I didn’t want to interfere with their workout by asking them to show me how – so I’m turning to ST wisdom - what’s the trick to doing hurdles and steeplechase without my tripping over the hurdles and breaking something? I’ve never done either before, so if you’ve got any tips, please keep it simple so I can understand it 
Thanks!
tc
*Hey Tigerchik *
*Well first hurdles are for sprinters and the steeples are for distance runners. *
*The best way to master the hurdles is to start them low and work up, and even the best of hurdlers knock them down all the time. *
*I did the steeple chase back in Eugene at the all comers meets back in the late 70’s and early 80’s and it was a blast. *
*I would never “hurdle” the steeple chase bearer but just lightly touch the top of the steeple with one foot as I went over, the good dudes could hurdle them, but I always thought that if you missed it’s going to hurt, a lot! *
*But you can go over them very quickly with the one foot method. *
*Do they still have all comers’ meets at Hayward field at the UofO? *
That is one fast track!
Dan…
Well, I’m a distance girl - but can I pretend to be a sprinter for a couple minutes so I can try hurdles?
low hurdles… got it. Maybe I’ll try to go over some imaginary ones first so I don’t crash into anything 
steeple chase bearer - is that the hurdle-looking thing before the big water puddle? I really just want to splash in the water puddle, I like water (and I know it’s not called a puddle but since I don’t know what it IS called, that’s the best I can come up with!)
so when you go over the thing, you are supposed to step on it? Ohhh.
when you’re trying to jump over the hurdle, which leg goes over first?
–I don’t know if they still have an all-comers meet or not. What’s Hayward field? we do have a fast track and it is BRIGHT BLUE!
a couple more questions - when I say I know NOTHING about this, it’s true, I know less about track stuff than I do about bikes!
How long is a standard steeplechase race? (how many laps, and do you jump over the bearer thing and run through the puddle thing every lap? are there other ‘obstacles’?)
How long are hurdle races and how far apart do you set them?
When hurdling, you will have a dominant leg just like with writing & dominant hand.
Try both sides and see which one feels more comfortable. Often times one of your legs will have a bit more stretching ability than the other, and this will make things easier.
You should be able to find some pictures online. I wouldn’t try the steeple barriers for awhile, hitting one will put you out of commision for awhile.
Chris
I think I’m going to need lots of supervision when I try this.
I agree with what you said. Also make sure the hurdles are facing the right way. I was once playing around jumping hurdles and it was on like medium height and faced the wrong way. Well lets just say i barely clear it, knock it over and hit the track hard on me knee. I was fine, but it felt like i had broken my kneecap. I belive most tracks have hurdle marks. As for distance of hurdle races, they are usually pretty short no more than 400.
I raced the 400 hurdles in HS and college - can’t really speak to the steeplechase.
Hurdles - for men - are 110m high hurdles and 400 intermediate hurdles. I think women are 100 and 400.
Height - men is 3 1/2 foot high for the highs and 3 foot for intermediate (or something like that). women’s are lower. Generally, mens highs are the highest notch on the hurdle, intermediate 2 down from there, if I recall.
Placement - the track is marked. Take a look on the ground, there should be ~ 1 inch markers in the lanes. For the quarter hurdles, the first hurdle is 45 m out, each one after is 35 m later - 10 total. For the highs I think iti’s 15 m to start and 10 thereafter.
Lead leg - you should have a natural lead leg. Run straight at a hurdle. You’ll probably stutter step as your body decides to kick one leg up. That’s the lead leg. Now you can either drill it in or, more elegantly, figure out your stride and train whichever leg comes up in that distance. So some people use both to lead, usually alternating. in the 1/4, most people lead left because it helps hold you out of the turn. Leading right can drive you too far in and then you risk running out of the lane.
Hitting them - they’re rearweighted and have plastic crossbars. Don’t be afraid to hit em. I mean, sure, I have a fake patella because I smashed it on a hurdle (trail leg), but ideally you want to be as close to the hurdle as you can be without clipping it. any time you’re in the air is time you’re not generating forward momentum. Don;'t be a afraid - that’s when you’ll stutter and slam into it. Just run at the hurdle and go.
Absolutely, you MUST stretch before hurdling.
To put it in perspective:
As a distance running in high school, I learned the value of stretching before and after every workout. 25-30 minutes before, with special emphasis added when doing track workouts.
In college - same stretching, and in fact, even more including partner stretching and the involvement of a school trainer, and I still could not run the steeple without pulling my left groin. Every other race at the very least, and often at practice as well. Eventually I got the picture and decided not to steeple any more, despite it being my best event.
Point being, it puts a ton of stress on the body, especially if you’re a springy person.
Chris
My vast experience in the steeplechase includes racing it exactly one time, in college. But I did train for it a bunch…
A steeplechase is traditionally 3k. There are 7 “barriers” per lap - for a race, they’ll put out six more of those big black and white striped things at intervals around the track. Normally you would hurdle the six that don’t have a water pit after them, and plant a foot on the one with the water pit after it (this one is called the “water barrier”).
The reason you plant a foot on the water barrier is so you get a little extra chance to push off of it, so that you can just about clear the water pit. The water pit is about ten feet long, and three feet deep at its deepest point close to the barrier. Then it gets shallower toward the far end. A lot of people like to land one foot in a few inches of water to help cushion the impact of coming down off the barrier. Some people can hurdle the water barrier, but even those people usually only manage it in the first few laps of the race.
Hurdling a steeple barrier is the same as hurdling a hurdle, only the penalty for hitting a steeple barrier is much greater. When you hit a hurdle, it falls over; when you hit a steeple barrier, you fall over. So practice on hurdles first! A better explanation of the steeple is at wikipedia, but if you really want to get a feel for it, you should watch a college track meet. Heck they might even let you jump in the race if it’s a dual meet or something
Lastly, if you do get a chance to jump in a steeplechase, definitely do it because it is really fun! Be careful though, it’s easy to hit a barrier with your trailing leg and smash the crap out of your knee.
Hope this helps!
TC,
Aaahhhhh!!! the memories. I did hurdles in HS and nearly 20 years later the scars on my ankles and knees from them still remind me of the glory days. Once you get confident don’t go trying to hurdle real estate signs with your drunk friends, thats a good way to get injured and miss a few track meets (not that getting drunk in HS was good either).
The words: Drive your leg, bend, reach and snap your leg are still the only things I remeber my coach telling me. Also hurdling is kinda like swimming and bilateral breating, if you can lead with either leg you are better off. Otherwise all those studder steps right in front of the hurdle just slow you down and you will lose precious momentum to carry you over the hurdle.
So now really, tell us, who is the track guy you are trying to impress?
Tigerchik, don’t be this person: http://www.cafepress.com/thatsashame
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I used to be heavy into the steeplechase (top 7 at national jr. championships 2k steeple 3 years in a row back in the early 80s and a silver medal at a 17 and under national 1500m steeple back in 1983) and could not hurdle worth a damn. I wouldn’t recommend trying on the barriers (I have hit a few in my days as a steepler and they hurt!). The women’s steeple barriers are shorter (2ft 6 in. vs. 3ft for mens) so if you insist on trying it look for the adjustable kind. I always hurdled them unless I was getting bumped in a crowd but my “technique” was a power/strength approach of just accelerating into the barrier and leaping over with a semi-hurdle like motion (my front leg had too much bend and my trail leg wasn’t flat like sprint hurdlers but it did the trick). You should try with some regular hurdles set really low to work on your timing. I’m currently coaching a gr. 10 girl who should qualify for the provincial high school championships this year (she did as a gr. 9 last season) and for her we work the running strength first and do a little technique work at the end of most workouts.
Which way are they supposed to face? Describe please… and what do hurdle marks look like? the track has all kinds of funny lines on it!
400m? muwahahaha. where’s desert dude? maybe I’ll do 20 x 400 hurdles!!! (brian I’m kidding
For the quarter hurdles, the first hurdle is 45 m out, each one after is 35 m later - 10 total. For the highs I think iti’s 15 m to start and 10 thereafter.
okay - I might start with just one or two so I can get used to it…
Lead leg - you should have a natural lead leg. Run straight at a hurdle. You’ll probably stutter step as your body decides to kick one leg up. That’s the lead leg. Now you can either drill it in or, more elegantly, figure out your stride and train whichever leg comes up in that distance. So some people use both to lead, usually alternating. in the 1/4, most people lead left because it helps hold you out of the turn. Leading right can drive you too far in and then you risk running out of the lane.
I think my left leg is my lead leg anyway.
**Hitting them - they’re rearweighted and have plastic crossbars. Don’t be afraid to hit em. **
I’m a little afraid… but I’ll try to just do it… like jumping off the 3m board!!!
**I mean, sure, I have a fake patella because I smashed it on a hurdle (trail leg), but ideally you want to be as close to the hurdle as you can be without clipping it. any time you’re in the air is time you’re not generating forward momentum. **
that sounds painful. really really incredibly painful.
Thanks for the help!
Point being, it puts a ton of stress on the body, especially if you’re a springy person.
I’m springy. Like tigger!
AAA! I do not want that to happen. That guy needs to be backboarded.
I’ll do my best to land on my feet. I do, however, have an affinity for water.
A steeplechase is traditionally 3k. 3k is like 2 miles, right? so 8 laps?
The reason you plant a foot on the water barrier is so you get a little extra chance to push off of it, so that you can just about clear the water pit.
ohhh. This looked fun to me partly because you got to be in water, like splashing through a puddle!
A lot of people like to land one foot in a few inches of water to help cushion the impact of coming down off the barrier.
Okay, that sounds good. Anything I can do to lessen impact on leg bones is a good thing.
Hurdling a steeple barrier is the same as hurdling a hurdle, only the penalty for hitting a steeple barrier is much greater. When you hit a hurdle, it falls over; when you hit a steeple barrier, you fall over.
lol. nicely written.
if you really want to get a feel for it, you should watch a college track meet. Heck they might even let you jump in the race if it’s a dual meet or something
watching one I can do. I don’t think they’d let me jump in - the coach and I don’t get along very well… the only thing I ever get to jump into here is the occassional invitation to a swim practice (misery loves company!)
Hope this helps!
it does. thank you
Cool! good luck to the girl you’re coaching.
The metal bars that sit on the ground should be facing you. If not when you hit will you will hit the ground instead of the hurdle just falling over.