Athletics is one of the regular sports at the biennial SEA Games (SEA Games) competition, which has been competed at the Games since the inaugural edition of the South East Asian Peninsular Games (SEAP) in 1959.
Athletics is the competition with the most medal events, with 48 of total 530 gold medal in 2019 edition.
| width=60 | Games | width=100 | Year | width=200 | Host city | width=150 | Host country | width=100 | Total Events | width=180 | Best Country | width=180 | 2nd Best Country | width=180 | 3rd Best Country | width=150 | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SEAP Games | |||||||||||||||||
| I | 1959 | Bangkok | [1] | ||||||||||||||
| II | 1961 | Rangoon | [2] | ||||||||||||||
| - | 1963 | (Cancelled) | |||||||||||||||
| III | 1965 | Kuala Lumpur | [3] | ||||||||||||||
| IV | 1967 | Bangkok | [4] | ||||||||||||||
| V | 1969 | Rangoon | [5] | ||||||||||||||
| VI | 1971 | Kuala Lumpur | [6] | ||||||||||||||
| VII | 1973 | Singapore | [7] | ||||||||||||||
| VIII | 1975 | Bangkok | [8] | ||||||||||||||
| SEA Games | |||||||||||||||||
| IX | 1977 | Kuala Lumpur | [9] | ||||||||||||||
| X | 1979 | Jakarta | [10] | ||||||||||||||
| XI | 1981 | Manila |  Philippines | [11] | |||||||||||||
| XII | 1983 | Singapore | [12] | ||||||||||||||
| XIII | 1985 | Bangkok | 41 | (10-12-10) | (10-4-5) | (9-12-12) | [13] | ||||||||||
| XIV | 1987 | Jakarta | 45 | (17-13-19) | (8-9-4) | (8-4-7) | [14] | ||||||||||
| XV | 1989 | Kuala Lumpur | [15] | ||||||||||||||
| XVI | 1991 | Manila | Philippines | 44 | (12-8-9) | (11-7-9) | (8-8-8) | [16] | |||||||||
| XVII | 1993 | Singapore | 44 | (14-6-7) | (13-11-7) | (8-11-7) | [17] | ||||||||||
| XVIII | 1995 | Chiang Mai | [18] | ||||||||||||||
| XIX | 1997 | Jakarta | [19] | ||||||||||||||
| XX | 1999 | Bandar Seri Begawan | [20] | ||||||||||||||
| XXI | 2001 | Kuala Lumpur | 46 | (22-8-11) | (8-11-4) | (8-5-9) | [21] | ||||||||||
| XXII | 2003 | Hanoi & Ho Chi Minh City | 45 | (13-14-13) | (8-15-8) | (8-3-5) | [22] | ||||||||||
| XXIII | 2005 | Manila, Laguna, Cebu, Bacolod | 45 | (12-13-19) | (9-11-9) | (8-8-4) | [23] | ||||||||||
| XXIV | 2007 | Nakhon Ratchasima | 45 | (17-19-9) | (8-4-5) | (7-7-5) | [24] | ||||||||||
| XXV | 2009 | Vientiane | 45 | (14-20-14) | (7-7-7) | (7-4-11) | [25] | ||||||||||
| XXVI | 2011 | Palembang & Jakarta | 46 | (14-9-9) | (13-12-11) | (9-9-14) | [26] | ||||||||||
| XXVII | 2013 | Naypyidaw | 46 | (17-13-10) | (11-10-12) | (6-4-7) | [27] | ||||||||||
| XXVIII | 2015 | Singapore | 46 | (17-13-9) | (11-15-8) | (7-4-4) | [28] | ||||||||||
| XXIX | 2017 | Kuala Lumpur | 45 | (17-11-6) | (9-13-11) | (8-8-9) | [29] | ||||||||||
| XXX | 2019 | Philippines | 49 | (16-12-10) | (12-11-12) | (11-8-8) | [30] | ||||||||||
| XXXI | 2021 | Hanoi | 47 | (22-14-8) | (12-11-8) | (5-7-14) | [31] | ||||||||||
| XXXII | 2023 | Phnom Penh | 47 | (14-8-5) | (12-20-8) | (7-3-9) | [32] | ||||||||||
Source:[33]