New Zealand athlete George Beamish. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
New Zealand middle distance runner George Beamish doesn't want to be pigeonholed as a steeplechaser, but for now that's the event he's hoping for glory in.
Beamish is one of six New Zealand athletes competing in the Prefontaine meeting in Oregon this weekend, which doubles as the Diamond League Finals.
Beamish burst onto the 3000 metre steeplechase scene this year with an Olympic qualifying standard, a national record and a fifth place finish at the World Championships.
However he doesn't want to limit himself to just the steeplechase.
"Absolutely not, I've run a lot of steeplechases this year and this weekend will be my ninth of the season, which is a bit ridiculous honestly," he told RNZ.
"I don't need a label, I'm just a middle distance runner who has been fortunate enough to have had a successful season in the steeplechase.
"I don't want to be stuck running just one event for the rest of my career, I want to stay competitive in the 1500 and mile, but we'll keep the steeplechase as the championship distance for the foreseeable future."
The 26 year old US-based athlete never really thought of himself running over the hurdles, but it was something his coach had thought about.
"It was always mentioned to me over the years that I looked like someone that could do quite well in that event just because of a few physical attributes.
"1500 was maybe a touch short and 5k was a touch long."
However Beamish admits the steeplechase was probably a natural progression for him but he initially struggled to find the enjoyment in it.
"By the time worlds came around (in August) I was actually enjoying the challenge of it."
He does plan to cut back on the number of races he competes in with just a couple of events before the 2024 Paris Olympics.
He says he wants to remain competitive in other events and his third place finish in the Fifth Avenue Mile in New York last weekend showed that he can still be in the mix it in the 1500 metres.
Runners compete in the men's 3000m steeplechase Photo: AFP
The steeplechase is a unique event where a runner's rhythm is interrupted five times each lap with a hurdle including one over a water jump.
However Beamish says he does a lot of fartlek training at his base in Colorado which involves random variations in speed and intensity.
"Those are some of the best workouts I run and so that part actually came naturally to me, I was never that good at just sitting on one pace and grinding out a whole 5k."
Beamish says the steeple will be his event at next year's Olympics, but he does want to keep his options open for others.
"I'd like to run a 5k qualifier, I think it's doable and it would be nice to tick off, similarly with the 1500 I think I can run close to that standard.
"In reality those races are nice as one offs but the event I can be most competitive in in Paris will be the steeplechase.
"That's what I'd be most excited about doing at the Olympics after my fifth place finish in Budapest (world championships).
"I'd love to get a medal, that's why we started running the steeplechase... I'm probably closer to that in my first season than I expected to be."
High-jumper Hamish Kerr, shot-putter Tom Walsh, javelin thrower Tori Peeters, miler Sam Tanner and sprinter Zoe Hobbs are the other kiwi athletes competing this weekend.
The winner of each Diamond League Final event will pocket $50,000.
