GUIDES · BETSLIP DOCTOR
How many barriers and water jumps are there in a 2,000m versus 3,000m steeplechase, and when does the first jump occur?
A standard 3,000m steeplechase has 28 hurdle jumps and seven water jumps. A standard 2,000m race has 18 hurdle jumps and five water jumps. In the 3,000m, the opening stretch before athletes enter the first lap has no jumps. In the 2,000m, the first jump is at the third hurdle of a lap; the earlier hurdles are removed until the field has passed them once. During any complete lap, the water jump is the fourth of five jumps.
For Track fans, athletes, and meet volunteers looking up how the two standard steeplechase distances are laid out. · Updated
Compare the two standard distances
TR23.2 gives the 3,000m jump counts, and TR23.3 gives the 2,000m counts. Count hurdle jumps and water jumps separately.
- 3,000m: 28 hurdle jumps and 7 water jumps.
- 2,000m: 18 hurdle jumps and 5 water jumps.
Follow the opening sequence
The 3,000m starts with a section before the first full lap that contains no jumps; the hurdles are not placed until the athletes enter that lap. In the 2,000m, the first jump comes at the third hurdle of a lap. The hurdles that come before it are removed until the athletes pass them the first time.
Count five jumps in a complete lap
A complete steeplechase lap has five jumps, with the water jump in fourth position. If the water jump is inside the track in a 2,000m race, the finish line must be passed twice before the first complete lap with five jumps. That note changes how the opening sequence is counted; it does not change the total race count.
A fictional 2,000m opening lap
Imagine a fictional 2,000m course with the water jump inside the oval. Runners pass the finish line twice before the first complete five-jump lap. In that complete lap, count three hurdles, the water jump fourth, and one final hurdle. The example illustrates the rule’s sequence, not a real venue.
Related questions
How many water jumps are in a standard 3,000m steeplechase?
Seven. The standard 3,000m event also has 28 hurdle jumps.
Where is the water jump in a complete steeplechase lap?
It is the fourth jump in a complete lap of five.
Why can the first 2,000m lap look different?
The first jump is at the third hurdle of a lap, and the earlier hurdles are removed until athletes pass them once. If the water jump is inside the track, the finish line is passed twice before the first complete five-jump lap.