Grand National lease in 1848. One century later, the Topham family bought the course outright. Later in the century the race was the setting of a thriller by the popular novelist Henry Hawley Smart. For three years during the First World War, while Aintree Racecourse was taken over by the War Office, an alternative race was run at Gatwick Racecourse, a disused course on land now occupied by Gatwick Airport. The first of these races, in 1916, was called the Racecourse Association Steeplechase, and in 1917 and 1918 the race was called the War National Steeplechase. The races at Gatwick are not
Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's 2500 metres steeplechase Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's 2500 metres steeplechase The men's 2500 metres steeplechase was a track & field athletics event at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris. It was the first time, that a steeplechase race was held at the Olympics. It was held on July 15, 1900. The race was held on a track of 500 metres in circumference. Six athletes from six nations competed in the shorter of the two steeplechase events. The 4000 metre steeplechase race was held one day later. The competition involved five laps of the 500 metre track, complete with standard