Track and field 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,
Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 10,000 metres Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 10,000 metres The Men's 10,000 metres at the 2008 Summer Olympics took place on August 17 at the Beijing National Stadium. The race was dominated by the Ethiopian and Kenyan teams along with Tadese of Eritrea. With 200m remaining, Bekele pulled away from the rest of the field with a final lap of 53.42 seconds, winning his second 10,000m Olympic gold medal. The qualifying standards for the 2008 event were 27:50.00 (A standard) and 28:10.00 (B standard). The Men's 10,000m competition consisted of only one race the Final. Prior to this competition,