Steeple Vs Distance Hurdles

[Dietch]

I'm procrastinating so I figured if Anyone was interested here is a new debate..
Which event is more difficult..
the Steeple or the 400m Hurdles.
I know they are different Animals, but Its just something to get the pot stirring before Cabin Fever totally sets in
I am partial to the Hurdles, but maybe someone else has another opinion....

[THEBOSS]

Both of these events are actually very similar. the 400H is an event that the long sprinter does because he isnt fast enoughfor the straight sprints. Whether hes not fast enough to get a gold medal at OFSAA or to get a gold at the OLYMPICS, the sprinter will change events in order to give him a better chance at success.

Steeplechase is the exact same thing only for distance runners.

The longer the distance, and the more barriers in the event, the greater the improvement that can be achieved.

This is not a shot at anyone who does these events, they are still very hard events ,that need to be trained for.

[davidson]

THEBOSS said:

the 400H is an event that the long sprinter does because he isnt fast enoughfor the straight sprints.

I disagree. I got into hurdles because I thought (rightly), that they are fun.

As for the debate, it's hard to compare the two races because of the distances. I think that the 400m Hurdles would be a harder one compared to it's non-hurdle form (that is, that the degree of difficulty increases more with the hurdles). It's pretty hard to get your legs up to hurdle in the last 100m when you're flirting with lactic acid. I've never done a 3k Steeple. I doubt there is anyone who trains seriously for both, so this would be a very hard comparison.

But I think they are both fun events, and I'd love to try steeple out sometime...

[carvz]

TEXTI have done both the 400m hurdles and 3000m Steeple Chase. to compare these events to regular track events, I would say the 400m hurdles is similar to running a 800m, for your legs burn from latic acid and become more and more difficult to lift over those hurdles for the last 150m, like they do in the final stages of an 800. The 3000m SC, in comparison to a 5000m; this is a little more of a stretch than saying the 400m hurdle event is like the 800m through. In the Steeple, your legs get fatigued and suffer from oxygen deficit, like one does in the 5000m. Great Steeplers can hurdle the 12 feet of water, good ones get one foot wet and well the rest get soaked. Have you ever plunged you foot with your spikes on into ankle deep cold water and then tried to run out of it? Its not as easy as it sounds or may look, for a wet non-steeple spacific spike weighs about the same or more than training shoes (ie regular running shoes). Add in the fact the steeple itself is about 200 pounds and stands a solid 3 feet high.

So, from my point of view, the Steeple Chase is the more difficult of the two. Based on the nature of the event, unmovable barriers and one water jump every lap. Nothing against 400m hurdlers but you got to be alittle crazier to do the steeple chase. ;D

[davidson]

carvz, did you train for both races with the intent of doing well in both? I think it is hard to compare the two unless you have spefically trained for both at separate times.

I agree with a lot of your points though. The size of the barriers is a bit scarier than the hurdles. If you hit a hurdle, the worst that happens is maybe you get a scrape. I'd hate to think what would happen if my knee slammed into a steeple at the speed my trail leg goes over.

As for the shoes, that is a huge problem, but there are shoes out there for steeplers that have good drainage (Adistar Steeples are really light), but still... that aspect is definetly a bit rougher on the 3k guys.

I like your point about the 400mH being compared with the 800. Not many people do that double, they do the 400 instead. This could be because of meets scheduling the 8 and hurdles close. How many guys out there have the 4hurdles and 8 double? I know I do, but I can't think of many others. I think the way the intermediate hurdles are run in Highschool, it promotes people who aren't as strong as 800m runners into the event (with the 300m and 200m hurdles), and then they all leave the event when it jumps up to 400.

I am still not convinced that the steeple is harder though, but I think they are equally tough...

[Dietch]

To follow up, I would also like to say Davidson that I was not impressed with how most meets schedule the 400 hurdles and 800m quite close together.

To Counter a point brought up earlier, Steeplers approach their big bad barriers at a MUCH slower pace than those in the 400m hurdles. While I agree with the point about the static nature of the Steeples, I believe that due to this increase in speed, the hurdles are much more dangerous than the regular Steeples (I am not talking abou the water jump). Watching Jeff Ellis (50.32s) take a spill in practice during my highschool days convinces me that the speed factor adequately counters the rigidity element of the steeple.

As well, I believe there is much more technique involved in the Hurdles. Go to just about any big club practice, and watch how often the Steeple guys are doing technique compared to the distance hurdle people.

Finally, I'd have to agree with Davidson about the hurdles being fun. I don't see the hurdles as a cop out for slower athletes, but conversly, an event for much stronger and co-ordinated talents.

[carvz]

Davidson, no, I did not train in both with the intentions to do well in both. I did the 400m hurdles to work on tech for the steeples, entered a few race for the hell of it. I tried my best to compare the two, but I'm a Steepler at heart.
I agree that the nature of the steeple has prevented many from even trying the event due to fear of the damage it can impose. But as Dietch has mention, the fact that the steepler approachs at a slower speed does even out the field between the Hurdler and steepler, a good point I missed. I also forgot to point out that the Hurdlers stays in their lines and the Steeplers fall into the frist lane, creating pack running. In my eyes, this makes the racing far more difficult by having to approach and hurdle the steeples in a pack, where there is the possiblity of being pushed around in those precious seconds when your in the air. Personally, I have taken to nasty falls of the steeple in one race because of a tight field of runners.

I know shoe technology has come a long way, where we now have spikes like the Adistar 4 steeple spikes or, my preference, the Nike Zoom Lanang. But on the start line on many steeple chase races you will find a majority of the competitors still wear their regular distance spikes.

So in conclusion, a spill in either event is something I don't wish upon anyone, but the matter of the fact is they do happen. It is just that if you bite the big one in the steeple, you run the risk of taking out anyone around you and could gaining multiple puncture holes. I know guys wipe out in the hurdles but the odds of taking someone else with you is pretty slim compared to Steeple, due to the pack running that can occur.
Carvz

[Destroyer]

wTo Counter a point brought up earlier, Steeplers approach their big bad barriers at a MUCH slower pace than those in the 400m hurdles. While I agree with the point about the static nature of the Steeples, I believe that due to this increase in speed, the hurdles are much more dangerous than the regular Steeples

Are you kidding me? The only time the 400mh take a bad tubmble is if they really mess up and hit the hurdle pretty hard, but in the steeple if you barley hit the steeple you're going down. And most good steeplers throw in a surge before every hurdle, so they are probably going at it around 64ish pace. There are a lot more falls in the steeple than in the 400mh (unless you are watching gr 9. girls try it, that is nasty to watch.)
Also I don't agree with the guy who said people do steeple bacsue they are not good enough in other events. Just watch the steeple it is the most fun event to watch and also the most fun to partcipate in (fun/painful same thing).