Athletics at the 1900 Summer Olympics – Men's 4000 metres steeplechase

This was the second Olympic steeplechase race (one day after the first), and the only time that an Olympic steeplechase race was held over the distance of 4000 metres. The 4000 metres was the longest distance of any Olympic steeplechase. The 1900 Games introduced steeplechase events with this competition and the 2500 metres steeplechase. The next two Games would each feature a steeplechase, but at different distances: 2590 metres in 1904 and 3200 metres in 1908. There was no steeplechase event in 1912. After World War I, the now-standard 3000 metres steeplechase was introduced and has been held at every Games since. Women's steeplechase, also at 3000 metres, was added in 2008.[2]

This steeplechase event featured a single race. The competition involved eight laps of the 500 metre track, complete with standard hurdles as well as stone fences and a water jump. The course was the same as that of the shorter event, but with eight laps instead of five.

None, this was the first and only time the event was held.

The British trio dominated this race, finishing in the top three spots close together. Rimmer was in front the whole way. Grant trailed him closely until the final lap before falling to the back of the field and eventually abandoning the race. The fourth-place finisher was about four times as far behind Robinson as Robinson was behind Rimmer. Orton, the gold medalist of the first steeplechase, finished fifth; he had become ill with an intestinal virus overnight and was unable to make the final push that had served him well in the 2500 metres.[2]

Rank	Athlete	Nation	Time
	John Rimmer	Great Britain	12:58.4
	Charles Bennett	Great Britain	12:58.6
	Sidney Robinson	Great Britain	12:58.8
4	Jean Chastanié	France	Unknown
5	George Orton	Canada	Unknown
6	Franz Duhne	Germany	Unknown
—	Alexander Grant	United States	DNF
	Thaddeus McClain	United States	DNF

• International Olympic Committee.
• De Wael, Herman. Herman's Full Olympians: "Athletics 1900". Accessed 18 March 2006. Available electronically at Archived 11 February 2006 at the Wayback Machine.
• Mallon, Bill (1998). The 1900 Olympic Games, Results for All Competitors in All Events, with Commentary. Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. ISBN 0-7864-0378-0.