Because the steeple isn't a real event. It's a sideshow meant for guys who can't make it in the 15 or 5k. A consolation prize. Participation trophy event.
Are the 110h or 400h events for those who want participation trophies? Why do coaches teach those?
What?? No haha. You can't compare the skill required in those hurdle events to the steeple. Freaking Jakob jumped in the steeple of Junior WC on a whim and absolutely rekt everybody and I highly doubt he was training hurdle drills his whole life in preparation. Meanwhile, you don't see Usain Bolt run the 110h and hulk smash just for sh!ts and gigs.
Anybody who's been on a college track team knows the deal on steeple. It's for the guys who are borderline scorers/qualifiers in the real events that want to "help the team" by running in the weakest event. Smith doesn't tolerate such weakness.
Pretty much true. Schools who want to win conference titles and national championships in track will try to get steeplers because it is a soft event. But schools like NAU who want to win XC and don't care about track, don't care to stik a guy in the steeple to get a few points.
I've wondered the same thing about NC State especially with regards to 800m runners, but I think the answer is similar, just the program being more long distance focused.
Silly statement. Do you think a 10 minute steepler is going to be competitive in XC? You are focusing on the very elite steeplers. OF course, an 8:30 steeple guy will be good at XC because he has to be capable of sub 8 for 3000.
If somebody is really fast at 5000, they almost can't be bad at steeple. 13:20 in the 5000 at the worst is going to convert to 8:45 in the steeple. That's sort of just stepping on the barrier and stopping and starting again.
Just because you can run a fast flat 1500 or 5k... doesn't mean you can be really successful at the steeple.
You really need to be more athletic to run the steeple. I freaking loved running the steeple. I enjoyed it way more that running anything flat.
Unless they're super short, weak or uncoordinated, any distance runner should be able to handle a steeple and be able to perform at about the same level as their flat events, especially as they train for it. The technique required is relatively easy to master. I can't imagine guys like Fisher or Nuguse couldn't figure it out if they gave an honest effort.
Weber State was traditionally the powerhouse steeple school. Back before NAU was a national power it didn't make much sense to put emphasis in the steeple when they were trying to win the Big Sky. Even now how many NAU runners could challenge the Weber State record of something like 8.18 in 1984 from a US runner Farley Gerber.
And you race the 1500 or 5k because you can't make it in the 100m or football or basketball.
10 points is 10 points. Most coaches don't train their steeplers and don't know how to coach hurdling. It's a sweet cherry to pick if you spend time learning hurdle technique and getting comfortable navigating barriers. You could beat significantly faster runners at the championships if youve worked on your hurdling.
Mike Smith is an alpha, and he only coaches alphas who want to dominate in the most competitive events, not betas who take the easy way out by choosing the least competitive events.
Face it, the only reason guys choose the steeple is if they can't score points in anything else, its out of necessity, not choice. Steepling is the track version of ultramarathons and mountain running.
So, Triathletes are people who are not good at 10k's or marathons?
If Chelimo, Ingebrigtsen, Fisher, etc announced they were going for the Steeple at WC this summer, everyone here would think "what??" This is indicative that, at some level, it is viewed as a less legitimate event as compared to its distance race counterparts.
In his interview after winning NCAAs, Joe Waskom said he couldn't believe it because he didn't make the meet the prior year running steeple. It's more than just fast running.
If somebody is really fast at 5000, they almost can't be bad at steeple. 13:20 in the 5000 at the worst is going to convert to 8:45 in the steeple. That's sort of just stepping on the barrier and stopping and starting again.
Just incorrect, you can’t “convert it” because if you have to stop and get over every barrier you’re breaking the rhythm of the race. I’ve snuck under 15 once in my life in the 5k and have beaten multiple sub 14 runners in the steeple. People just don’t run it because they’re babies and are afraid they’ll trip and hurt themselves
It's true that the steeple is generally not as deep as the 1500 or 5000, and many runners who specialize in it weren't as competitive in the flat races. It's also true that the steeple is really freaking hard, and it's not like anyone can do it. You need to have a level of overall athleticism and coordination that most distance runners don't have. I steepled very poorly a few times in high school, and the last few laps were unlike any other pain I've experienced in racing.
I remember Don Cabral being a good XC runner, but last year, did any of the All-American steeplers have good cross-country seasons. Just Alec Bastien and Duncan Hamilton. Parker STokes and Kenneth Rooks I don't believe have been consistently good forces for their schools. I think the year before last year, there was a guy from M. Tennessee State, who had no accolades outside of xc.
Augusto Mayo and Ian Dobson were All-American steeplers and they were great XC runners. You'd be foolish to not go where the need is.
Their throw 100 miles a week at everybody program is already a high injury risk. Throwing steeple into that is asking for even more trouble. Also, it’s obvious they could care less about track.