| Event: | Athletics |
| Games: | 1960 Summer |
| Venue: | Stadio Olimpico |
| Dates: | August 31–September 8 |
| Competitors: | 1,016 |
| Nations: | 73 |
| Prev: | 1956 |
| Next: | 1964 |
At the 1960 Summer Olympics in Rome, 34 events in athletics were contested, 24 by men and 10 by women. There were a total number of 1016 participating athletes from 73 countries.
| 100 metres | 10.2 (=OR) | 10.2 (=OR) | 10.3 | ||||
| 200 metres | 20.5 (=WR) | 20.6 | 20.7 | ||||
| 400 metres | 44.9 (WR) | 44.9 (WR) | 45.5 | ||||
| 800 metres | 1:46.3 (OR) | 1:46.5 | 1:47.1 | ||||
| 1500 metres | 3:35.6 (WR) | 3:38.4 | 3:39.2 | ||||
| 5000 metres | 13:43.4 | 13:44.6 | 13:44.8 | ||||
| 10,000 metres | 28:32.2 (OR) | 28:37.0 | 28:38.2 | ||||
| 110 metres hurdles | 13.8 | 13.8 | 14.0 | ||||
| 400 metres hurdles | 49.3 (OR) | 49.6 | 49.7 | ||||
| 3000 metres steeplechase | 8:34.2 (OR) | 8:36.4 | 8:42.2 | ||||
| 4 × 100 metres relay | Bernd Cullmann Armin Hary Walter Mahlendorf Martin Lauer | 39.5 (=WR) | Gusman Kosanov Leonid Bartenyev Yuriy Konovalov Edvin Ozolin | 40.1 | Peter Radford David Jones David Segal Nick Whitehead | 40.2 | |
| 4 × 400 metres relay | Jack Yerman Earl Young Glenn Davis Otis Davis | 3:02.2 (WR) | Hans-Joachim Reske Manfred Kinder Johannes Kaiser Carl Kaufmann | 3:02.7 | Malcolm Spence Jim Wedderburn Keith Gardner George Kerr | 3:04.0 | |
| Marathon | 2:15:16.2 (WB) | 2:15:41.6 | 2:17:18.2 | ||||
| 20 kilometres walk | 1:34:07.2 | 1:34:16.4 | 1:34.56.4 | ||||
| 50 kilometres walk | 4:25:30.0 (OR) | 4:25:47.0 | 4:27:55.4 | ||||
| High jump | 2.16 m (OR) | 2.16 m (OR) | 2.14 m | ||||
| Pole vault | 4.70 m (OR) | 4.60 m | 4.55 m | ||||
| Long jump | 8.12 m (OR) | 8.11 m | 8.04 m | ||||
| Triple jump | 16.81 m (OR) | 16.63 m | 16.43 m | ||||
| Shot put | 19.68 m (OR) | 19.11 m | 19.01 m | ||||
| Discus throw | 59.18 m (OR) | 58.02 m | 57.16 m | ||||
| Hammer throw | 67.10 m (OR) | 65.79 m | 65.64 m | ||||
| Javelin throw | 84.64 m | 79.36 m | 78.57 m | ||||
| Decathlon | 8392 (OR) | 8334 | 7809 |
| 100 metres | 11.0 | 11.3 | 11.3 | ||||
| 200 metres | 24.0 | 24.4 | 24.7 | ||||
| 800 metres | 2:04.3 (=WR) | 2:04.4 | 2:05.6 | ||||
| 80 metres hurdles | 10.8 | 10.9 | 11.0 | ||||
| 4 × 100 metres relay | Martha Hudson Lucinda Williams Barbara Jones Wilma Rudolph | 44.5 | Martha Langbein Anni Biechl Brunhilde Hendrix Jutta Heine | 44.8 | Teresa Wieczorek Barbara Janiszewska Celina Jesionowska Halina Richter | 45.0 | |
| High jump | 1.85 m (OR) | 1.71 m | none awarded as there was a tie for silver | ||||
| Long jump | 6.37 m (OR) | 6.27 m | 6.21 m | ||||
| Shot put | 17.32 m (OR) | 16.61 m | 16.42 m | ||||
| Discus throw | 55.10 m (OR) | 52.59 m | 52.36 m | ||||
| Javelin throw | 55.98 m (OR) | 53.78 m | 53.45 m |
During the 1960 Summer Olympic Games, 28 new Olympic records and 4 new world records were set in the athletics events.
| Event | Date | Round | Name | Nationality | Result | OR | WR | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | 100 metres | August 31 | Final | 10.2 s | OR | ||||
| align=left | 200 metres | September 3 | Semi-Final | 20.5 s | OR | ||||
| align=left | 400 metres | September 6 | Final | 44.9 s | OR | WR | |||
| align=left | 800 metres | September 2 | Final | 1:46.3 | OR | ||||
| align=left | 1,500 metres | September 6 | Final | 3:35.6 | OR | WR | |||
| align=left | 10,000 metres | September 8 | Final | 28:32.2 | OR | ||||
| align=left | 4x400 metre relay | September 8 | Final | 3:02.2 | OR | WR | |||
| align=left | 400 metre hurdles | September 2 | Final | 49.3 s | OR | ||||
| align=left | 3,000 metre steeplechase | September 3 | Final | 8:34.2 | OR | ||||
| align=left | Marathon | September 10 | Final | 2:15:16.2 | OR | ||||
| align=left | 50km walk | September 7 | Final | 4:25:30.0 | OR | ||||
| align=left | High jump | September 3 | Final | 2.16 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Long jump | September 2 | Final | 8.12 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Triple jump | September 6 | Final | 16.81 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Pole vault | September 7 | Final | 4.70 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Shot put | August 31 | Final | 19.68 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Hammer throw | September 3 | Final | 67.10 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Decathlon | September 6 | Final | 8,392 points | OR |
| Event | Date | Round | Name | Nationality | Result | OR | WR | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | 100 metres | September 2 | Semi-Final | 11.3 s | OR | ||||
| align=left | 200 metres | September 3 | First Round | 23.2 s | OR | ||||
| align=left | 800 metres | September 7 | Final | 2:04.03 | OR | ||||
| align=left | 80 metre hurdles | August 31 | Semi-Final | 10.6 s | OR | ||||
| align=left | 4x100 metre relay | September 7 | First Round | 44.4 s | OR | WR | |||
| align=left | High jump | September 8 | Final | 1.85 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Long jump | August 31 | Final | 6.37 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Discus throw | September 5 | Final | 55.10 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Shot put | September 2 | Final | 17.32 m | OR | ||||
| align=left | Javelin throw | September 1 | Final | 55.98 m | OR |