List of athletics events

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 ChampionshipsNotesMenWomenMenWomenMenWomenMenWomen60 metres1900 – 19041985 – Present1985 – Present100 metres1896 – Present1928 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present200 metres1900 – Present1948 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1985 – 20041985 – 2004400 metres1896 – Present1964 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1985 – Present1985 – Present800 metres1896 – Present1928, 1960 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1985 – Present1985 – Present1500 metres1896 – Present1972 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1985 – Present1985 – Present3000 metres1984 – 19921983 – 19931985 – Present1985 – Present5000 metres1912 – Present1996 – Present1983 – Present1995 – Present10,000 metres1912 – Present1988 – Present1983 – Present1987 – Present4 × 100 metres relay1912 – Present1928 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present4 × 400 metres relay1912 – Present1972 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1991 – Present1991 – PresentMixed 4 × 400 metres relay2020 – Present2019 – Present60 metres hurdles1985 – Present1985 – Present100 metres hurdles1972 – Present1983 – Present110 metres hurdles1896 – Present1983 – Present400 metres hurdles1900 – Present(except 1912)1984 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present3000 metres steeplechase1920 – Present2008 – Present1983 – Present2005 – PresentMile run (road)2023 – Present2023 – PresentWorld Road Running Championships5 kilometres (road)2023 – Present2023 – PresentWorld Road Running ChampionshipsHalf-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 runMarathon (road)1896 – Present1984 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present20 kilometres race walk (road)1956 – Present2000 – Present1983 – Present1999 – Present35 kilometres race walk (road)2022 – Present2022 – PresentMarathon race walk mixed relay (road)2024 – Present2024 – PresentWorld Race Walking Team ChampionshipsCross country running1912 – 19241973 – Present1973 – PresentWorld Athletics Cross Country ChampionshipsCross country running mixed relay2017 – PresentWorld Athletics Cross Country ChampionshipsPole vault1896 – Present2000 – Present1983 – Present1999 – Present1985 – Present1997 – PresentHigh jump1896 – Present1928 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1985 – Present1985 – PresentLong jump1896 – Present1948 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1985 – Present1985 – PresentTriple jump1896 – Present1996 – Present1983 – Present1993 – Present1985 – Present1993 – PresentShot put1896 – Present1948 – Present1983 – Present1983 – Present1985 – Present1985 – PresentDiscus throw1896 – Present1928 – Present1983 – Present1983 – PresentHammer throw1900 – Present2000 – Present1983 – Present1999 – PresentJavelin throw1908 – Present1932 – Present1983 – Present1983 – PresentPentathlon1912 – 19241964 – 19801995 – PresentHeptathlon1984 – Present1983 – Present1995 – PresentDecathlon1912 – Present1983 – Present

Former championship events EventOlympic GamesOutdoor ChampionshipsIndoor ChampionshipsOther World Athletics ChampionshipsNotesMenWomenMenWomenMenWomenMenWomen4 × 200 metres relay2014 – 20212014 – 2021Sprint medley relay1908Mixed 2 × 2 × 400 metres relay2019 – 2021World Relay Championships4 × 800 metres relay2014 – 20172014 – 2017World Relay ChampionshipsDistance medley relay20152015World Relay Championships4 × 1500 metres relay20142014World Relay Championships3000 metres team race1912 – 192480 metres hurdles1932 – 1968200 metres hurdles1900 – 1904Shuttle hurdle relay2019 – 2021World Relay Championships3000 metres race walk(track)1985 – 19935000 metres race walk (track)1985 – 199310,000 metres race walk (track)1912 – 1924, 1948 – 19521992 – 19961987 – 199710 kilometres (road)1983 – 1984World Women's Road Race Championships15 kilometres (road)1985 – 1991World Women's Road Race Championships20 kilometres (road)20062006Replaced the half-marathon in 2006 only at the World Road Running Championships50 kilometres race walk (road)1932 – 2020 (except 1976)1983 – 20192017 – 2019Marathon relay (road)1992 – 19981992 – 1998World Road Relay ChampionshipsCross country running short race1998 – 20061998 – 2006World Cross Country ChampionshipsStanding high jump1900 – 1912Standing long jump1900 – 1912Standing triple jump1900 – 190456 pound weight throw1904, 1920 NB: This list excludes Summer Olympic events which featured only once on the Olympic athletics programme during the first six editions

Other common events

Sprints 50 metres 55 metres 100-yard dash 150 metres 200 metres straight 300 metres 440-yard dash

Middle-distance 1000 metres 1600 meters Mile run 2000 metres 3200 metres Two miles

Hurdles 50 metres hurdles 55 metres hurdles 300 metres hurdles 2000 metres steeplechase

Relays 4 × 110 m Shuttle hurdles relay Swedish relay Ekiden

Road events 5-mile run 10-mile run Quarter marathon 25K run 30K run 100K run Ultramarathon

Timed events One hour run 12-hour run 24-hour run Multi-day race

Misc Men's Indoor 35lb Weight Throw and Women's Indoor 20lb Weight Throw Octathlon, combined track and field event featured at the IAAF World Youth Championships in Athletics Throws pentathlon, a championship combined track and field event at the World Masters Athletics Championships Fierljeppen, Frisian sport of pole vaulting for distance Softball throw, athletics event throwing for distance using a softball

List of athletics events

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