The steeplechase is a form of horse racing (primarily conducted in the United Kingdom, Canada, United States, Australia, France, and Ireland) and derives its name from early races in which orientation of the course was by reference to a church steeple, jumping fences and ditches and generally traversing the many intervening obstacles in the countryside. In Great Britain and Ireland the official term now used for the sport is National Hunt racing.

It is a term now used to refer to a distance horse race with diverse fence and ditch obstacles; the most famous of these is the Grand National run annually at Aintree Racecourse, in Liverpool, since its inception in 1836 (the official race was held three years later).

Ezekiel Kemboi Cheboi (born May 25, 1982) is a Kenyan athlete, winner of the 3000 metres steeplechase at the 2004 Summer Olympics, the 2009 World Championships and the 2011 World Championships. He became African Junior Champion in 2001 and came to prominence with a silver medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Kemboi established himself as one the world's foremost steeplechasers with a win at the 2003 All-Africa Games, a silver at the 2003 World Championships in Athletics, and then becoming the 2004 Olympic Champion. Over the next three years he obtained two more world silver medals and won at the 2006 Commonwealth Games.

Kemboi represented Kenya at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but managed only seventh – his worst performance on the global stage. He rebounded with a win at the 2009 World Championships (his first world gold medal) and took silver at the 2010 African Championships the following year. His 3000 m steeplechase best of 7:58.85 places him as the seventh fastest of all time. He is one of only three men to have won both Olympic and World golds in the event, along with Reuben Kosgei and Brimin Kipruto.