List of athletics events explained

The sport of athletics is defined by the many events which make up its competition programmes. All events within the sport are forms of running, walking, jumping or throwing. These events are divided into the sub-sports of track and field, road running, racewalking and cross country running.

The Olympic athletics programme has played a significant role in shaping the most common events in the sport. The World Athletics Championships is the foremost World Championship event, holding the vast majority of World Championship-level events within the competition. A small number of events, such as the 60 metres, are exclusive to the World Athletics Indoor Championships.

Two further, separate World Championship events are held for their specific events: the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships and the World Athletics Cross Country Championships. Cross country is one of many events which have appeared at Olympics but no longer form part of the Olympic athletics schedule. Some events, such as the mile run, remain very popular at competitions, despite having neither Olympic nor World Championship status.

Olympic and World Championship events

Current events

EventOlympic GamesOutdoor ChampionshipsIndoor ChampionshipsOther World Athletics ChampionshipsNotes
MenWomenMenWomenMenWomenMenWomen
60 metres1900 – 19041985 – Present1985 – Present
100 metres1896 – Present1928 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present
200 metres1900 – Present1948 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1985 – 20041985 – 2004
400 metres1896 – Present1964 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1985 – Present1985 – Present
800 metres1896 – Present1928, 1960 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1985 – Present1985 – Present
1500 metres1896 – Present1972 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1985 – Present1985 – Present
3000 metres1984 – 19921983 – 19931985 – Present1985 – Present
5000 metres1912 – Present1996 – Present1983 – Present1995 – Present
10,000 metres1912 – Present1988 – Present1983 – Present1987 – Present
4×100 metres relay1912 – Present1928 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present
4×400 metres relay1912 – Present1972 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1991 – Present1991 – Present
Mixed 4×400 metres relay2020 – Present2019 – Present
60 metres hurdles1985 – Present1985 – Present
100 metres hurdles1972 – Present1983 – Present
110 metres hurdles1896 – Present1983 – Present
400 metres hurdles1900 – Present
(except 1912)		1984 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present
3000 metres steeplechase1920 – Present2008 – Present1983 – Present2005 – Present
Mile run
(road)		2023 – Present2023 – PresentWorld Road Running Championships
5 kilometres
(road)		2023 – Present2023 – PresentWorld Road Running Championships
Half-marathon (road)1992 – Present (except 2006)1992 – PresentHeld annually as the World Half-Marathon Championships until 2010 and held biennially from 2012 to 2020; part of World Road Running Championships starting in 2023; 2006 edition replaced by a 20k run
Marathon
(road)		1896 – Present1984 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present
20 kilometres
race walk
(road)		1956 – Present2000 – Present1983 – Present1999 – Present
35 kilometres
race walk
(road)		2022 – Present2022 – Present
Marathon race walk mixed relay (road)2024 – Present2024 – PresentWorld Race Walking Team Championships
Cross country running1912 – 19241973 – Present1973 – PresentWorld Athletics Cross Country Championships
Cross country running mixed relay2017 – PresentWorld Athletics Cross Country Championships
Pole vault1896 – Present2000 – Present1983 – Present1999 – Present1985 – Present1997 – Present
High jump1896 – Present1928 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1985 – Present1985 – Present
Long jump1896 – Present1948 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1985 – Present1985 – Present
Triple jump1896 – Present1996 – Present1983 – Present1993 – Present1985 – Present1993 – Present
Shot put1896 – Present1948 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1985 – Present1985 – Present
Discus throw1896 – Present1928 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present
Hammer throw1900 – Present2000 – Present1983 – Present1999 – Present
Javelin throw1908 – Present1932 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present
Pentathlon1912 – 19241964 – 19801995 – Present
Heptathlon1984 – Present1983 – Present1995 – Present
Decathlon1912 – Present1983 – Present

Former championship events

EventOlympic GamesOutdoor ChampionshipsIndoor ChampionshipsOther World Athletics ChampionshipsNotes
MenWomenMenWomenMenWomenMenWomen
4 × 200 metres relay2014 – 20212014 – 2021
Sprint medley relay1908
Mixed 2 × 2 × 400 metres relay2019 – 2021World Relay Championships
4 × 800 metres relay2014 – 20172014 – 2017World Relay Championships
Distance medley relay20152015World Relay Championships
4 × 1500 metres relay20142014World Relay Championships
3000 metres
team race		1912 – 1924
80 metres hurdles1932 – 1968
200 metres hurdles1900 – 1904
Shuttle hurdle relay2019 – 2021World Relay Championships
3000 metres
race walk
(track)		1985 – 1993
5000 metres
race walk
(track)		1985 – 1993
10,000 metres race walk
(track)		1912 – 1924,1948 – 19521992 – 19961987 – 1997
10 kilometres
(road)		1983 – 1984World Women's Road Race Championships
15 kilometres
(road)		1985 – 1991World Women's Road Race Championships
20 kilometres
(road)		20062006Replaced the half-marathon in 2006 only at the World Road Running Championships
50 kilometres
race walk
(road)		1932 – 2020
(except 1976)		1983 – 20192017 – 2019
Marathon relay
(road)		1992 – 19981992 – 1998World Road Relay Championships
Cross country running short race1998 – 20061998 – 2006World Cross Country Championships
Standing
high jump		1900 – 1912
Standing
long jump		1900 – 1912
Standing
triple jump		1900 – 1904
56 pound
weight throw		1904, 1920

Other common events

Sprints
Middle-distance
Hurdles
Relays
Road events
Timed events
Misc

See also

References

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "List of athletics events".

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