At the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki, 33 athletics events were contested, 24 for men and 9 for women. There were a total number of 963 participating athletes from 57 countries.
| 100 metres | 10.4 | 10.4 | 10.4 | ||||
| 200 metres | 20.7 | 20.8 | 20.8 | ||||
| 400 metres | 45.9 | 45.9 | 46.8 | ||||
| 800 metres | 1:49.2 | 1:49.4 | 1:49.7 | ||||
| 1500 metres | 3:45.2 | 3:45.2 | 3:45.4 | ||||
| 5000 metres | 14:06.6 | 14:07.4 | 14:08.6 | ||||
| 10,000 metres | 29:17.0 | 29:32.8 | 29:48.2 | ||||
| 110 metres hurdles | 13.7 | 13.7 | 14.1 | ||||
| 400 metres hurdles | 50.8 | 51.3 | 52.2 | ||||
| 3000 metres steeplechase | 8:45.4 | 8:51.6 | 8:51.8 | ||||
| 4 × 100 metres relay | 40.1 | 40.3 | 40.5 | ||||
| 4 × 400 metres relay | 3:03.9 | 3:04.0 | 3:06.6 | ||||
| Marathon | 2:23:03 | 2:25:35 | 2:26:07 | ||||
| 10 kilometres walk | 45:02.8 | 45:41.0 | 45:41.0 | ||||
| 50 kilometres walk | 4:28:07.8 | 4:30:17.8 | 4:31:27.2 | ||||
| High jump | 2.04 | 2.01 m | 1.98 m | ||||
| Pole vault | 4.55 m | 4.50 m | 4.40 m | ||||
| Long jump | 7.57 m | 7.53 m | 7.30 m | ||||
| Triple jump | 16.22 m | 15.98 m | 15.52 m | ||||
| Shot put | 17.41 | 17.39 m | 17.06 m | ||||
| Discus throw | 55.03 | 53.78 m | 53.28 m | ||||
| Hammer throw | 60.34 m | 58.86 m | 57.74 m | ||||
| Javelin throw | 73.78 m | 72.46 m | 71.89 m | ||||
| Decathlon | 7,887 pts | 6,975 pts | 6,788 pts |
| 100 metres | 11.5 | 11.8 | 11.9 | ||||
| 200 metres | 23.7 | 24.2 | 24.2 | ||||
| 80 metres hurdles | 10.9 | 11.1 | 11.1 | ||||
| 4 × 100 metres relay | 45.9 | 45.9 | 46.2 | ||||
| High jump | 1.67 m | 1.65 m | 1.63 m | ||||
| Long jump | 6.24 m | 6.14 m | 5.92 m | ||||
| Shot put | 15.28 m | 14.57 m | 14.50 m | ||||
| Discus throw | 51.42 m | 47.08 m | 46.29 m | ||||
| Javelin throw | 50.47 m | 50.01 m | 49.76 m |
During the 1952 Summer Olympic Games, 26 new Olympic records and 8 new world records were set in the athletics events.
| Event | Date | Round | Name | Nationality | Result | OR | WR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | 400 metres | July 25 | Final | 45.9 s | OR | |||||
| align=left | 1500 metres | July 26 | Final | align=left | 3:45.2 | OR | ||||
| align=left | 5000 metres | July 24 | Final | align=left | 14:06.6 | OR | ||||
| align=left | 10,000 metres | July 20 | Final | align=left | 29:17.0 | OR | ||||
| align=left | 110 metres hurdles | July 24 | Final | align=left | 13.7 s | OR | ||||
| align=left | 400 metres hurdles | July 21 | Final | align=left | 50.8 s | OR | ||||
| align=left | 3000 metres steeplechase | July 25 | Final | align=left | 8:45.4 s | OR | ||||
| align=left | 4 x 400 metres relay | July 27 | Final | align=left | 3:03.9 | OR | WR | |||
| align=left | 10 kilometres walk | July 27 | Final | align=left | 45:02.8 | OR | ||||
| align=left | 50 kilometres walk | July 21 | Final | align=left | 4:28:07.8 | OR | ||||
| align=left | Marathon | July 27 | Final | align=left | 2:23:03.2 | OR | WR | |||
| align=left | High jump | July 20 | Final | align=left | 2.04 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Pole vault | July 22 | Final | align=left | 4.55 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Triple jump | July 23 | Final | align=left | 16.22 m | OR | WR | |||
| align=left | Shot put | July 21 | Final | align=left | 17.41 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Discus throw | July 22 | Final | align=left | 55.03 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Javelin throw | July 24 | Final | align=left | 73.78 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Hammer throw | July 24 | Final | align=left | 60.34 m | OR | WR | |||
| align=left | Decathlon | July 26 | Final | align=left | 7887 pts | OR | WR |
| Event | Date | Round | Name | Nationality | Result | OR | WR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | 200 metres | July 26 | Semifinal | align=left | 23.4 s | OR | WR | |||
| align=left | 80 metres hurdles | July 24 | Final | align=left | 10.9 s | OR | WR | |||
| align=left | 4 x 100 metres relay | July 27 | Final | align=left | 45.9 s | OR | WR | |||
| align=left | Long jump | July 23 | Final | align=left | 6.24 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Shot put | July 26 | Final | align=left | 15.28 m | OR | WR | |||
| align=left | Discus throw | July 20 | Final | align=left | 51.42 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Javelin throw | July 24 | Final | align=left | 50.47 m | OR |
A total of 57 nations participated in the different Athletics events at the 1952 Summer Olympics.