The men's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics as part of the athletics program were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 21 to 24. The athletes competed in a three-heat qualifying round in which the top three from each heat, together with the six fastest losing runners, were given a place in the final race. The winning margin was 0.30 seconds.
Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi is a Kenyan professional athlete, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2009 World Championships, the 2011 World Championships, the 2012 Summer Olympics, the 2013 World Championships and the 2015 World Championships. His 3000 m steeplechase best of 7:55.76 set at Monaco in 2011 places him as the seventh fastest of all time. This time is also the fastest non-winning time in history. He is one of only five men to have won both Olympic and World golds in the event, along with Reuben Kosgei, Brimin Kipruto, Conseslus Kipruto and Soufiane El Bakkali. He and El Bakkali are the only multiple gold medalists in both. He is the only athlete to have won four world championships in the steeplechase. He is one of only three athletes to have won two Olympic titles in the event; the other two being Volmari Iso-Hollo and Soufiane El Bakkali.
Saif Saaeed Shaheen, formerly Stephen Cherono, is a retired steeplechase runner. He was born in Keiyo, Kenya but now he represents Qatar. He was, for 19 years, the world record holder for 3000 metre steeplechase. He is a two time World Champion in the event. His older brother Abraham Cherono is also a steeplechase runner.
Eliud Kipchoge is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in the marathon and formerly specialized in the 5000 metres. Kipchoge is the 2016 and 2020 Olympic marathon champion, and was the world record holder in the marathon from 2018 to 2023, until that record was broken by Kelvin Kiptum at the 2023 Chicago Marathon. Kipchoge has run four of the 10 fastest marathons in history.
Mike Kipruto Kigen is a Kenyan long-distance runner. He specializes in the 5000 metres and 10,000 metres and won silver medals in both events at the African Championships in Athletics in 2006 representing Kenya. In October 2015, he changed his name to Kaan Kigen Özbilen and has since then competed for Turkey.
Richard Kipkemboi Mateelong is a Kenyan professional long-distance runner who specializes in the 3000 metre steeplechase. He won an Olympic bronze medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and he has two World Championship medals in the discipline.
Bernard Barmasai is an athlete from Kenya. He specialised in steeplechase running but is nowadays a marathoner.
The Men's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2008 Olympic Games took place on 16–18 August at the Beijing Olympic Stadium. The winning margin was 0.15 seconds which as of 2024 remains the only time the men's steeplechase was won by less than 0.3 seconds at the Olympics.
Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad is a retired French professional middle-distance runner of Algerian descent who mainly competed in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He is the only man to win three Olympic steeplechase medals, claiming silver in 2008 and 2012 and bronze in 2016. He also won two bronze medals at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in 2011 and 2013. Mekhissi-Benabbad earned titles at five consecutive editions of the European Athletics Championships between 2010 and 2018.
Kenya competed at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007. Kenya won five gold, three silver and five bronze medals, finishing second in the medal table, after the United States.
The Men's 3.000 metres Steeplechase at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany, on August 16 and August 18, 2009. Keeping in line with previous major championships success, the four-man Kenyan team entered for the event contained a number of race favourites.
Mark Kosgey Kiptoo is a Kenyan long-distance runner who set the world record in the marathon for the Masters age group by running 2:07:50 in the 2018 Frankfurt Marathon. He also specialized in the 5000 metres throughout his career. He is a two-time gold medalist in the event at the Military World Games and won bronze medals over the distance at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the 2010 African Championships in Athletics. He has also represented Kenya at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and the All-Africa Games.
Conseslus Kipruto is a Kenyan middle-distance runner who specializes in the 3000 metres steeplechase. He was the 2016 Rio Olympic champion in the event. At the World Athletics Championships, Kipruto won gold medals in 2017 and 2019, silver medals in 2013 and 2015, and a bronze in 2022. In 2018, he captured gold medals at the African Championships and Commonwealth Games. He is a four-time Diamond League winner.
Hillary Kipsang Yego is a Kenyan long-distance runner who competes in the steeplechase. He has a personal best of 8:03.57 minutes for the event. He was the gold medallist at the 2009 World Youth Championships in Athletics.
The steeplechase at the Summer Olympics has been held over several distances and is the longest track event with obstacles held at the multi-sport event. The men's 3000 metres steeplechase has been present on the Olympic athletics programme since 1920. The women's event is the most recent addition to the programme, having been added at the 2008 Olympics. It is the most prestigious steeplechase track race at elite level.
Jairus Kipchoge Birech is a Kenyan steeplechase runner. He holds a personal best time of 7:58.41 minutes for the 3000 metres steeplechase, which ranks him among the top ten of all time. He was the gold medallist at the 2014 African Championships in Athletics and silver medallist at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The men's 3000 metres steeplechase competition at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil was held at the Olympic Stadium between 15–17 August.
The men's 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2015 World Championships in Athletics was held at the Beijing National Stadium on 22 and 24 August.
Abraham Kibiwot is a Kenyan steeplechase runner. He won bronze medals in the 3000 m steeplechase at the 2024 Summer Olympics, 2023 World Championships, and 2016 African Championships. His personal best is 8:05.51 minutes, set in 2023.
The 3000 metres steeplechase has been held as an event at the IAAF World Championships in Athletics in the men's division since 1983 and in the women's division since 2005. It can be noted for a series of lengthy winning streaks in the men's division, where Kenyan born athletes have won every championship between 1991 and 2019. Moses Kiptanui won three in a row between 1987 and 1995, Saif Saaeed Shaheen, born Steven Cherono, won two in 2003 and 2005. The longest winning streak in any event in the World Championships, is four in a row by Ezekiel Kemboi, between 2009 and 2015. More remarkably, Kemboi prefaced that streak with a streak of three silver medals between 2003 and 200. 2007 champion Brimin Kipruto has a complete set of medals, including two bronze. Kenya has also fared well in the women's division winning 9 of the 21 medals issued to date. 2013 women's champion Milcah Chemos Cheywa also has a complete set of medals.
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