steeplechase

steeplechase — noun

1. a race — either on horseback or on foot — in which competitors cover a lengthy c

1.nounC1
Definition

a race — either on horseback or on foot — in which competitors cover a lengthy course while jumping over barriers like shrub fences, railings, and pits of water

Example

The annual steeplechase at Cheltenham attracts thousands of spectators from around the world.

collocation: annual steeplechase

Tendai trained for months before entering his first steeplechase, where runners jump over barriers and a water pit.

Common collocations
  • enter a steeplechase
  • win the steeplechase
  • steeplechase track
  • steeplechase runner
  • steeplechase horse
  • run the steeplechase
Synonyms
  • obstacle course

    a general term for any route with barriers; does not imply a formal race or specific distance

  • hurdle race

    a shorter track event over uniform barriers, lacking the water jumps and varied terrain of a steeplechase

  • chase

    a historical or informal synonym now rarely used for this specific event

Usage Note

Frequently used for formal athletic events with permanent or semi-permanent obstacles (hedges, rail fences, water pits); not for general obstacle courses, adventure races, or military training runs.

Common Mistakes

She steeplechased during college.
She ran the steeplechase during college.
'Steeplechase' is a noun, not a verb.
We built a steeplechase in the backyard for fun.
We set up an obstacle course in the backyard for fun.
A steeplechase is a formal event, not an informal homemade course.

Word family

  • steeplechaser
    nounC1
  • steeplechasing
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A steeplechase is a formal long-distance race with fixed barriers including water jumps — used for both horses and human runners. An obstacle course is a much broader term: it can refer to any route with physical challenges, whether competitive or recreational, and does not imply a specific distance or set of rules. A hurdle race is a shorter track event over uniform barriers (hurdles) and never includes water jumps; it tests speed and rhythm rather than endurance. A cross-country race involves varied natural terrain (hills, grass, mud) but typically has no constructed barriers to jump over, unlike a steeplechase. For example: 'The Olympic steeplechase requires runners to clear thirty-five barriers across seven and a half laps,' but 'The military obstacle course tested the recruits' agility and strength.'

steeplechase ↗obstacle coursehurdle racecross-country race

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • take part in
  • clear a jump
  • complete the course

Prepositions

Etymology

Old English (stēpel, 'tower')Old French (chacier, 'to hunt')Modern English

The word dates to late-18th-century Ireland, where informal cross-country horse races used a church steeple as a visible landmark to aim for. Riders would gallop from one town's steeple toward the next, jumping over any hedges, streams, or stone walls in between. Over time, the term was adopted for formal races with purpose-built obstacles on a closed track, and later for a footrace based on the same idea.