Athletics is one of several sports contested at the quadrennial Commonwealth Games competition. It has been a Commonwealth Games sport since the inaugural edition of the event's precursor, the 1930 British Empire Games. It is a core sport and must be included in the sporting programme of each edition of the Games.
Editions GamesYear Host cityHost countryBest nation I 1930 Hamilton, Ontario II 1934 London III 1938 Sydney IV 1950 Auckland V 1954 Vancouver, British Columbia VI 1958 Cardiff VII 1962 Perth, Western Australia VIII 1966 Kingston IX 1970 Edinburgh X 1974 Christchurch XI 1978 Edmonton, Alberta XII 1982 Brisbane, Queensland XIII 1986 Edinburgh XIV 1990 Auckland XV 1994 Victoria, British Columbia XVI 1998 Kuala Lumpur XVII 2002 Manchester XVIII 2006 Melbourne XIX 2010 Delhi XX 2014 Glasgow XXI 2018 Gold Coast, Queensland XXII 2022 Birmingham XXIII 2026 Glasgow
Events
Men's events No new events have been added to the men's athletics programme since the 1998 addition of the 20 km and 50 km racewalks. The roster of events has not changed since then, with the exception of the omission of the 50 km racewalk from 2010 and the 20 km racewalk in 2014. A total of 35 different events have been held in the men's competition, 23 of which were contested at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Many of the discontinued events were similar to modern events but at different lengths as they were contested over distances measured in Imperial units. Events with distances measured in metric units were first contested in 1970.
Event 30 34 38 50 54 58 62 66 70 74 78 82 86 90 94 98 02 06 10 14 18 Games Current program 100 metresXXXXXXXXXXXXX 13 200 metresXXXXXXXXXXXXX 13 400 metresXXXXXXXXXXXXX 13 800 metresXXXXXXXXXXXXX 13 1500 metresXXXXXXXXXXXXX 13 5000 metresXXXXXXXXXXXXX 13 10,000 metresXXXXXXXXXXXXX 13 MarathonXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 21 110 metres hurdlesXXXXXXXXXXXXX 13 400 metres hurdlesXXXXXXXXXXXXX 13 3000 metres steeplechaseXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 16 4 × 100 metres relayXXXXXXXXXXXXX 13 4 × 400 metres relayXXXXXXXXXXXXX 13 20 kilometres race walkXXXXX 5 High jumpXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 21 Pole vaultXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 21 Long jumpXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 21 Triple jumpXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 21 Shot putXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 21 Discus throwXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 21 Hammer throwXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 21 Javelin throwXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 21 DecathlonXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 14 Past events 100 yardsXXXXXXXX 8 220 yardsXXXXXXXX 8 440 yardsXXXXXXXX 8 880 yardsXXXXXXXX 8 1 milesXXXXXXXX 8 3 milesXXXXXXXX 8 6 milesXXXXXXXX 8 120 yards hurdlesXXXXXXXX 8 440 yards hurdlesXXXXXXXX 8 20 miles walkXXX 3 30 kilometres race walkXXXXX 5 50 kilometres race walkXXX 3 4 × 440 yards relayXXXXXXXX 8Events192019191919202223232323232323242424232223
Women's events A total of 34 different events have been held in the women's competition, 23 of which were contested at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. The women's program has been identical to the men's program since the 2006 Commonwealth Games (with the exception of the discontinued men's 50 km walk) when the women's 3000m steeplechase was added to the program. The 20 km racewalk was omitted from the program in 2014. Event 30 34 38 50 54 58 62 66 70 74 78 82 86 90 94 98 02 06 10 14 Games Current program 100 metresXXXXXXXXXXXX 12 200 metresXXXXXXXXXXXX 12 400 metresXXXXXXXXXXXX 12 800 metresXXXXXXXXXXXX 12 1500 metresXXXXXXXXXXXX 12 5000 metresXXXXX 5 10,000 metresXXXXXXXX 8 MarathonXXXXXXX 7 100 metres hurdlesXXXXXXXXXXX 11 400 metres hurdlesXXXXXXXXXXXX 12 3000 metres steeplechaseXXX 3 4 × 100 metres relayXXXXXXXXXXXX 12 4 × 400 metres relayXXXXXXXXXXXX 12 High jumpXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 20 Pole vaultXXXXX 5 Long jumpXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 20 Triple jumpXXXXX 5 Shot putXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 16 Discus throwXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 16 Hammer throwXXXXX 5 Javelin throwXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX 20 HeptathlonXXXXXXXXX 9 Past events 110 yardsXXXXXXXX 8 220-yardXXXXXXXX 8 440-yardX 1 880-yardXXX 3 1-mileXXXXXXXX 8 3000 metresXXXXX 5 10 kilometres race walkXXX 3 20 kilometres race walkXXX 3 4 × 110 yards relayXXXX 4 4 × 440 yards relayXXXXXXXX 8Events787710101112131515161719182222232322
Elite Athletes with a Disability events From the 2002 Commonwealth Games a number of events have been included in the program to include elite athletes with disabilities. The inclusion of events in this category has been inconsistent over the four Games where they have been included. Event 02 06 10 14 Games Men's 100 metres T12XX 2 Men's 100 metres T37X 1 Men's 100 metres T46X 1 Men's 200 metres T46X 1 Men's 1500 metres T54XX 2 Men's shot put F32/34/52X 1 Men's discus throw F42-44X 1 Men's discus throw seatedX 1 Women's 100 metres T12X 1 Women's 100 metres T37XX 2 Women's 800 metres T54XX 2 Women's 1500 metres T54XX 2 Women's long jump F37/38X 1 Women's shot put seatedX 1 Women's shot put F32-34/52/53X 1Events2566
All-time medal table Updated after the 2026 Commonwealth Games
See also List of Commonwealth Games records in athletics List of Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics (men) List of Commonwealth Games medallists in athletics (women)
External links Commonwealth Games sport index