| 3rd Arab Athletics Championships | |
| Host City: | Tunis, Tunisia |
| Dates: | 21–24 August |
| Events: | 39 |
| Previous: | 1979 Baghdad |
| Next: | 1983 Amman |
The 1981 Arab Athletics Championships was the third edition of the international athletics competition between Arab countries. It took place in Tunis, Tunisia from 21 to 24 August. It was the first occasion that the tournament was hosted in Africa. A total of 39 athletics events were contested, 23 for men and 16 for women. The men's 20 kilometres walk was held for the first time – being the first Arab walking championship race since the 1965 Pan Arab Games. The women's programme, following its debut in 1979 with ten events, was greatly expanded. Relays, hurdles, heptathlon and distance events were all opened up to women athletes.[1] [2]
| 100 metres | 10.59 | 10.62 | 10.74 | ||||
| 200 metres | 21.44 | 21.66 | 21.89 | ||||
| 400 metres | 45.35 | 46.91 | 47.49 | ||||
| 800 metres | 1:48.44 | 1:48.97 | 1:49.25 | ||||
| 1500 metres | 3:39.88 | 3:40.02 | 3:59.28 | ||||
| 5000 metres | 13:54.47 | 13:56.41 | 13:57.70 | ||||
| 10,000 metres | 28:56.8 | 28:59.0 | 29:31.9 | ||||
| 110 metres hurdles | 14.45 | 14.50 | 14.62 | ||||
| 400 metres hurdles | 51.83 | 52.09 | 52.52 | ||||
| 3000 metres steeplechase | 8:32.32 | 8:32.34 | 8:51.27 | ||||
| relay | 41.30 | 41.46 | 41.59 | ||||
| relay | 3:10.62 | 3:12.36 | 3:15.45 | ||||
| Marathon | 2:49:13 | 2:50:52 | 2:55:56 | ||||
| 20 km walk | 1:41:32 | 1:41:40 | 2:08:06 | ||||
| High jump | 2.06 m | 2.00 m | 2.00 m | ||||
| Pole vault | 4.60 m | 4.50 m | 4.30 m | ||||
| Long jump | 7.25 m | 7.20 m | 6.94 m | ||||
| Triple jump | 15.61 m | 15.55 m | |||||
| Shot put | 17.25 m | 16.52 m | 16.41 m | ||||
| Discus throw | 51.46 m | 49.08 m | 47.40 m | ||||
| Hammer throw | 52.43 m | 45.44 m | 52.43 m | ||||
| Javelin throw | 71.50 m | 71.46 m | 66.66 m | ||||
| Decathlon | 7495 pts | 7366 pts | 6882 pts |
| 100 metres | 11.86 | 12.27 | 12.70 | ||||
| 200 metres | 24.30 | 25.26 | 25.90 | ||||
| 400 metres | 59.12 | 59.32 | 1:01.11 | ||||
| 800 metres | 2:10.80 | 2:11.27 | 2:13.80 | ||||
| 1500 metres | 4:26.95 | 4:32.71 | 4:33.54 | ||||
| 3000 metres | 9:33.71 | 10:04.22 | 10:09.72 | ||||
| 100 metres hurdles | 15.07 | 16.08 | 16.41 | ||||
| 400 metres hurdles | 1:04.95 | 1:06.39 | Only two finishers | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| relay | 47.89 | 49.81 | 56.54 | ||||
| relay | 3:51.28 | 3:55.83 | Only two finishers | ||||
| High jump | 1.74 m | 1.66 m | 1.63 m | ||||
| Long jump | 5.82 m | 5.75 m | 5.37 m | ||||
| Shot put | 12.21 m | 12.11 m | 11.57 m | ||||
| Discus throw | 49.88 m | 47.70 m | 44.42 m | ||||
| Javelin throw | 47.18 m | 44.02 m | 42.88 m | ||||
| Heptathlon | 5128 pts | 5125 pts | 4675 pts | ||||