At last Blog, the steeplechase story I promised you last week …. The reason I remembered is because a seminal work about the ‘History of the Steeplechase’ is about to hit the bookstalls. Remember Blog, you heard it first here!!!!
First the little tale I promised a few letters ago, then a comment or two about the history of the ‘chase. In case you are not aware Blog, the steeplechase on the track is a distance of 3000m (nearly two miles to you Colin) with several very solid barriers which have to be jumped during the course of the race. How an athlete gets over does not matter, although hurdling is the most efficient way. On each lap there is a water jump, usually on the top bend. To my story …. At the British Universities Championships in Cardiff a half century ago, I ran in the steeplechase for the Pink Panther University. If you look back at our correspondence Blog, you will recall that I sent you a cutting from the News of the World of me doing a steeplechase in the Championships of God’s Own County; can you recall?? Look it up to refresh you about my style! Anyways, back to Cardiff. In the steeplechase I have just told you that on each of the seven laps there is a water jump to negotiate. On most tracks, the jump is on the top bend and the approach apron is made of the same material as the track. But at Cardiff, the arrangements were different … very different. Amazingly different considering that at the time, the track in Cardiff was the Principality’s main Arena. To get to the water jump barrier, you had to jump up from the cinder track onto the grass infield which was considerably higher than the cinder track surface; then there was the approach to the jump which was a grass run up (luckily it was dry … refer to that News of the World photograph for the consequences when a grass approach is wet!!). The water pit was earth lined which got deeper, slipperier and muddier as the race progressed. Then after the jump, athletes had to continue on the grass infield and jump down off the apron back onto the track. As if this was not bad enough, two wooden boxes on the side of the track on the jump run up and two wooden boxes on the side of the track after the water jump had also to be negotiated. The boxes were coverings for the water hydrants used to water the cinder track when it got too hard in dry weather. The whole thing was a farce!! Steeplechasers were regarded as second class track athletes by many athletes and officials anyway. But to have a major Championship with such poor facilities was really taking the Pee big time. Running in a group, the inevitable happened. On the third or fourth lap the boxes were hidden from my view by the pack of runners and I clouted one at speed. Suffice to say that the A. and E. Department at Cardiff Hospital was rather a pleasant place to spend a Saturday afternoon. But my Pink Panther University colleagues were non-too happy having to wait around at the track for my return before we started the 300 odd mile trip back to the North East!!!! As a postscript, I think that was probably my last but one steeplechase race as I had some time to reflect while recovering from my injury on whether my destiny really did lie with the ‘chase or not.
Anyways, back to this book written by as athlete whose forte is statistics; I believe he has never raced a steeplechase. During his preparation and consultation period, I tried to persuade him that there should be several set of steeplechase records rather than the one set which is currently ratified by the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations). My argument went along the lines that different arrangements of barriers, approaches to the jump and positioning of the jump made nonsense of comparing all performances!!! He disagreed!!! Bear Blog, Bear with me…. Some track have the water jump outside the track on the top bend (e.g. Birchfield, Birmingham), some have the water jump on the inside of the track at the top bend(e.g. Leicester); both hold Championship races!. Each arrangement requires the barriers to be differently spaced necessitating on the track requiring a completely different distribution of energy in each circumstance from the athletes racing. To make matters worse, some tracks have been modified or newly built, with a tight turn off the track onto the apron, a sharp right angle, giving the athlete a straight run at the jump, therefore quicker, replacing the usual curved approach (e.g. Doha). And some have the steeplechase water jump slightly off the track straight not on the top bend, but at the top of the back straight, providing a far quicker and easier clearance (e.g. Oregon); often the home of the USA trails. I am not party to his manuscript, but from our last conversation, I do not think he addresses the situation in any great detail because his forte is statistics; I believe he has never raced a steeplechase. We shall see on publication day!!!
Oh Colin, you can be such a bore at times………………………..
Thanks Blog.
Colin
P.S. Did you know Blog that the steeplechase was introduced into track programmes as a summer substitute for cross country running where, in years gone by, a cross country runner had to negotiate, ditched, hedges, fences and the like. Often the harriers did not run in summer as it was regarded as a winter sport. So to keep their interest in the summer months, various types of steeplechases were introduced into the handicap meetings. Also, the promoters found that the paying punters liked to see all the fun of the ‘chase with athletes taking a soaking at the water jump, or tripping and falling at the hurdles
… see my letter about when I ran a steeplechase in the Midland Track League at Rugby for my club about five years ago!!! Nothing changes. Spectators today still tend to congregate around the water jump area waiting and hoping for a mishap!! Often the best prizes were given at handicap meeting for hurdles races. One Godiva Harrier won a piano when winning a race in Liverpool at the turn of the century (1900). He bought it back to Coventry on the train with some degree of difficulty!!!! Blog, I kid you not!!
No comments:
Post a Comment