Home > Running videos

VIDEO: High school runner pulls off the most dramatic steeplechase fall

Dylan Weamert had one of the best ever steeplechase falls on Saturday at the Woodward Relays as he did a flip into the water pit (Photo: MoCoRunning).

Steeplechase Fall Dylan Weamert
Steeplechase Fall Dylan Weamert
Dylan Weamert dives into the water pit. Photo: MoCoRunning.

The steeplechase, an obstacle race in athletics which involves hurdling barriers and clearing one water pit per lap, is a prime event for track blunders. The 3,000m steeplechase is the most common variation of the event and is often run at the international level.

In this case, Dylan Weamert, a senior at Northern High School in Maryland, was running the 2,000m steeplechase at the Woodward Relays in North Bethesda, Md. on Saturday. As he approached the final water pit, which is typically located on the curve opposite the finish line, several spectators had their cameras rolling for a potential fall.

The crowd was not disappointed.

Weamert, nicknamed “Weems” in the below video, took the fall like a champ as the high school athlete finished the race in 7:07.12 despite his wetter-than-usual singlet, shorts, and shoes. As he neared the barrier, he put out his hand rather than attempting the jump resulting in a nosedive into the water.

He couldn’t help but smile before finishing the 150 metres of the race.

The 2,000m steeplechase includes 18 barriers over the course of the race and five instances where competitors have to do a water jump.

As can be seen by the amount of spectators surrounding the infamous water pit, the event is a crowd-favourite. The video has begun making rounds on social media prompting Weamert to admit the following on Twitter:

Weamert told The Washington Post that he thought the pit was only a foot deep as he had never before wiped out while running the event on other occasions. He found out the hard way that it’s a bit deeper as he was almost fully submerged for a brief moment.

There was plenty of footage of the fall, which can be seen below. The high schooler has taken the incident in stride and has been sharing the videos on his Twitter page.

Weems! No!

The water pit was likely a lot less full by the end of the race considering the amount of splashes caused by runners

Northern High School head coach Josh Dawson had arguably the best location to capture the fall

The more angles the better

Matthew Hughes and Jessica Furlan hold the men’s and women’s Canadian records in the 3,000m steeplechase.

RELATED: Do it for the team: High school runner gets spiked in the face and still finishes.

Check out the latest buyer's guide:

The best trainers in Canada under $150

We curated the best performance trainers under $150 to meet your 2024 running goals, while staying on budget