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Steeplechase Question

  • 07-08-2012 11:30pm
    #1
    Lapin
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18,184 ✭✭✭✭


    What is the point of the water jump ?

    Seriously, while watching a few races the other night it struck me as being an annoying hinderence rather than a credible obsticle like the other hurdles. I'd like to get peoples opinions on it.

    Does it add any significance to the race?
    Is it simply there for historical reasons?
    What do athletes think of it?


Comments

  • #2
    Pherekydes
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 16,202 ✭✭✭✭Pherekydes


    It's a credible obstacle. Have you ever ran into one? :pac:


  • #3
    seanmacc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 771 ✭✭✭seanmacc


    The pros make it look easy but trust me it is not. Did you ever see how deep it is if you don't get the distance on your jump?

    Also having wet feet is not nice.


  • #4
    Sacksian
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,896 ✭✭✭Sacksian


    Lapin wrote: »
    What is the point of the water jump ?

    Seriously, while watching a few races the other night it struck me as being an annoying hinderence rather than a credible obsticle like the other hurdles. I'd like to get peoples opinions on it.

    Does it add any significance to the race?
    Is it simply there for historical reasons?
    What do athletes think of it?

    It's there for historical reasons. The steeplechase is basically a cross-country race, originally between villages, transferred to track.


  • #5
    ecoli
    Closed Accounts Posts: 10,762 ✭✭✭✭ecoli


    Lapin wrote: »
    Does it add any significance to the race?

    Has had major significance over the last few years at the All Irelands (Just ask Mark Kirwan)
    Lapin wrote: »
    What do athletes think of it?

    Again I think its safe to say that Mark hates it

    http://www.inpho.ie/media/x0OBMnGtN8kFIMoqDb-alw..a


  • #6
    RoyMcC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,567 ✭✭✭RoyMcC


    ecoli wrote: »

    Again I think its safe to say that Mark hates it

    http://www.inpho.ie/media/x0OBMnGtN8kFIMoqDb-alw..a[/QUOTE]

    2009 if my memory is correct. Was leading by a street at this point with just the final straight to go - finished in third. Iirc, which these days I often don't.


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  • #7
    cwgatling
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 711 ✭✭✭cwgatling


    The water jump is my favourite bit!

    Check out this for a water jump.


  • #8
    im invisible
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,372 ✭✭✭im invisible


    Also, how much shorter is the track going over the water jump rather than around it? (I presume this is taken into account)


  • #9
    mathepac
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 4,991 ✭✭✭mathepac


    The idea is that the obstacles be traversed otherwise it's like winning a hurdle race by running on the flat.


  • #10
    robinph
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,144 Mod ✭✭✭✭robinph


    im invisible wrote: »
    Also, how much shorter is the track going over the water jump rather than around it? (I presume this is taken into account)

    Some tracks have the water jump on the outside of the track and then the start is in a different location. Not sure on the difference in length of the track, but it is accounted for.


  • #11
    PaulieYifter
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 701 ✭✭✭PaulieYifter


    im invisible wrote: »
    Also, how much shorter is the track going over the water jump rather than around it? (I presume this is taken into account)
    mathepac wrote: »
    The idea is that the obstacles be traversed otherwise it's like winning a hurdle race by running on the flat.


    The water jump is inside the normal running track so a lap of the steeplechase is less than 400m - the question is by how much?

    I think it can depend on the track but generally 5m shorter so for the 3000m is 7.5 laps plus an extra 35m at the start.


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  • #12
    RoyMcC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,567 ✭✭✭RoyMcC


    PaulieYifter wrote: »
    The water jump is inside the normal running track so a lap of the steeplechase is less than 400m - the question is by how much?

    Or indeed on the outside of the track ;) though I think that is increasingly unusual.


  • #13
    robinph
    Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 24,144 Mod ✭✭✭✭robinph


    RoyMcC wrote: »
    Or indeed on the outside of the track ;) though I think that is increasingly unusual.

    Just realised that I didn't spot the water jump the other day when I was at the stadium, but it must have been completely covered over for the high jump end. It's probably a lot simpler to put it outside the track for tracks that do not have a stadium built around them, once you add in the seating then you have a bit more capacity, and money, for moving things around a bit.


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