Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics – Men's 2590 metres steeplechase

The men's 2590 metres steeplechase was a track and field athletics event held as part of the Athletics at the 1904 Summer Olympics programme. It was the only time the event was held at the 2590 metre distance, though the 1900 Summer Olympics had featured a similar event in the 2500 metre steeplechase. The competition was held on August 29, 1904. 7 athletes from 2 nations competed. Jim Lightbody of the United States won the first of his three gold and four overall medals in the 1904 Games. Irishman John Daly took silver, with Lightbody's countryman Arthur L. Newton earning bronze.

Men's 2590 metres steeplechase at the Games of the III Olympiad
Gold medalist Jim Lightbody
Venue	Francis Field
Dates	August 29
Competitors	7 from 2 nations
Medalists
Jim Lightbody  Vereinigte Staaten John Daly  Great Britain Arthur L. Newton  Vereinigte Staaten

Background

Steeplechase events had been introduced to the Olympics in 1900, with two events at the Paris Games, at 2500 metres and 4000 metres. At St. Louis 1904, there was only one steeplechase event, at 2590 metres. The distance was changed to 3200 metres at London 1908, but the event was removed from the program at Stockholm 1912.

After World War I, steeplechase returned in 1920 at Antwerp at the now-standard distance of 3000 metres; it has been held at that distance ever since.

Irish runner John Daly was the favorite, while American Jim Lightbody was a distance runner who had never competed in a steeplechase before.

Competition format

The race distance was 2590 metres, with hurdles and a water jump. Only a final was held.

The track was a cinder track 1⁄3 mile (536.448m) in length, with one long straightaway.

Records

These were the standing world and Olympic records (in minutes) prior to the 1904 Summer Olympics.

World Record		none
Olympic Record	7:34.4(*)	George Orton	Paris (FRA)	July 15, 1900

(*) The distance of this race was 2500 metres and the track was 500 metres in circumference.

Zeitplan

Date	Zeit	Round
Tuesday, 29 August 1904		Final

Results

Rank	Athlete	Nation	Zeit
	Jim Lightbody	Vereinigte Staaten	7:39.6
	John Daly	Great Britain	7:40.6
	Arthur L. Newton	Vereinigte Staaten	7:45.6
4	Frank Verner	Vereinigte Staaten	Unknown
5–7	Harvey Cohn	Vereinigte Staaten	Unknown
	David Curtiss Munson	Vereinigte Staaten	Unknown
	Richard Sanford	Vereinigte Staaten	Unknown
—	George Bonhag	Vereinigte Staaten	DNS
	Bernard Gallagher	Vereinigte Staaten	DNS
	Alexander Grant	Vereinigte Staaten	DNS
	Lacey Hearn	Vereinigte Staaten	DNS
	John Purcell	Vereinigte Staaten	DNS

Sources

• Wudarski, Pawel (1999). "Wyniki Igrzysk Olimpijskich" (in Polish). Retrieved 13 December 2006.