 Outside of the hurdles events , the steeplechase race is the other track and field event with obstacles . Just as the hurdling events , the steeplechase finds its origin in student competition in Oxford , England . However , this event was born as a human variation on the original steeplechase competition found in horse racing . A steeplechase event was held on a track for the 1879 English championships and the 1900 Summer Olympics featured men 's 2500 m and 4000 m steeplechase races . The event was held over various distances until the 1920 Summer Olympics marked the rise of the 3000 metres steeplechase as the standard event . The IAAF set the standards of the event in 1954 , and the event is held on a 400 m circuit that includes a water jump on each lap . Despite the long history of men 's steeplechase in track and field , the women 's steeplechase only gained World Championship status in 2005 , with its first Olympic appearance coming in 2008 . 
