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Events In Athletics | What are the different types of events in athletics?

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Athletics is a wide collection of sporting events that are comprised of different physical activities like walking, jumping, running, and throwing. There are various types of events in Athletics- Sprints, long jump, triple jump, Relay races, and throwing events are the major ones. Each athletic event differ from one another in many ways. It is one of the most common sports played all around the world due to its lack of need for expensive equipment. Athletics generally accounts for individual player performances or a team performance calculated by adding different individual performances. It is a part of the Olympics since its inception in 1896. International Athletic Events are overseen by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

IAAF kreedon

Now, not many people know this but the word Athletics has a little different interpretation in different parts of the World. In North America, it is synonymous with sports in general. The word Track and Field is generally used to signify most events in athletics in the US and Canada. Anyways, let us get into the details of the different events in Athletics or the types of events in Athletics, and let’s know how each athletics events differ from one another.

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The most general divisions of Athletic Events are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking.

List of Events in Athletics

Event TypeEvent NameEvents Variations
Track EventsSprints100 m, 200 m, 400 m
Middle Distance800 m, 1500 m
Long Distance3000 m, Steeplechase, 5000 m, 10,000 m
Hurdles110/100 m, 400 m
Relays4X100 m, 4X400 m
Jump EventsLong Jump
High Jump
Triple Jump
Pole Vault
Throw EventsDiscus Throw
Javelin Throw
Hammer Throw

The events categorized under the track and field events involve skills like running, jumping, and throwing. These events occur on a running track or a field for throwing and jumping events, hence the name Track and Field Events. The Track and Field events are divided into 3 broad categories: track events, field events, and combined events. The field events are again of two types: jump, and throws.

Track Events in Athletics

Sprints (Running events in Athletics)

Sprint KreedOn

Races over short distances are sprints. It is focused on reaching the maximum speed and covering short distances as quickly as possible. There are three sprinting events that occur in the Olympics and outdoor World Championships: 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters.

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Middle Distance (Running events in Athletics)

Middle dist Kreedon
credits: Runners World

The 800 m, 1500m, and a mile run are generally included in the middle distances events. Endurance and race tactics are more important than the speed beyond the sprinting races. At some places, the 3000 m event is also a part of the middle distance track events.

pv sindhu

Long Distance (Running events in Athletics)

Long Dist Kreedon
Events in Athletics: Long Distance (Credits: Irish Times)

The 3000m, 5000m, and 10000m are some common long-distance track events. Stamina, endurance, race tactics, and similar skills become much more important in these types of events in athletics.

Relay Races (Running events in Athletics)

relay race kreedon
credits: Rio 2016

The only team event in track and field events are the relay races. A team of 4 athletes, each run their specific distances and hands over a baton in a designated area to the next runner of the team. The most common relay races are 4×100 m and 4×400 m. Also, some less common relays are 4×200 m, 4×800 m, and 4×1500 m.

Hurdling (Running events in Athletics)

Hurdles KreedOn

Races with obstacles or hurdles are under this category. Popular events in the Olympics that come under the category are 100 m hurdles for Women, 110 m hurdles for men, and 400 m hurdles for both sexes. Also, some American competitions include 300m hurdles.

Jump Events in Athletics

Long Jump (Jumping events in Athletics)

Hurdles KreedOn
Credits Gfycat

Athletes sprint on a track followed by a jumping board and a sandpit. The athletes must jump before a marked line. The achieved distance is then measured from the nearest point of sand disturbed by the athlete’s body. A standing long jump event is also existent with the traditional version.

Triple Jump (Jumping events in Athletics)

The triple jump event has a similar setup as that of the long jump. The only change is 2 steps that the athlete takes before jumping into the pit. The process includes hop, step, and jump. Standing triple jump is very uncommon from the competitive perspective but has seen some usage as drills in other sports.

Triple Jump Kreedon
credits: Canyon track

High Jump (Jumping events in Athletics)

high jumping KreedOn
Credits Giphy

The athletes run a short run-up and take off to jump over a horizontal bar to land on a cushioned bed on the other side. The height of the bar is recorded as the registered height jumped by the athlete.

Pole Vault (Jumping events in Athletics)

Pole Kreedon
credits: Texas Athletics

The athlete runs down a strip of track, plants the pole in a metal box, and vaults over a horizontal bar at a certain height before letting go of the pole and falling backward onto landing mattresses. While earlier versions used metal, wooden, or bamboo, the modern poles are generally made from artificial materials such as carbon fiber or fiberglass.

Throw Events in Athletics

Shot Put

Shot put Kreedon events in athletics
credits: SimpliFaster

The round shot styled ammunition used for the sport, hence the term shot put. The athlete throws a 16 pound (7.26kg) (4kg for women) shot put from within a circular area of 7 feet diameter.

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Discus Throw

Discuss Kreedon events in athletics
credits: The Independent

A heavy disc takes place of the spherical shot put in this event. The disc is 2kg and 22cm in diameter.

mary kom

Javelin Throw

Javeline Kreedon events in athletics

A short run-up to the foul line and then the athlete releases the javelin. The current javelin specifications are 2.2 to 2.3 m and 600 g for women, and 2.6 to 2.7 m in length, and 800 grams in weight for men.

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Hammer Throw

Hammer Kreedon events in athletics
credits: Wired

A metal ball weighing 16 pounds (4kg for women) is attached to a wire measuring 1.175m-1.215m. This is rotated and thrown in a direction angled within 34.92 degrees.

Events in Athletics: Combined Events

The most common combined events are Men’s decathlon and Women’s heptathlon. The athlete participates in a series of events, earning points in each event, and then the total tally of added points decides the winner. Due to limitations of the stadium, the indoor version of combined events features fewer events: the men’s heptathlon and the women’s pentathlon.

Road Running Events in Athletics

road running Kreedon events in athletics
credits: Swindon Harriers

Unlike the track and field events where the run is on proper running tracks, this division comprises of events that are run on the road. These events are run on established roads on the measured courses. They are long-distance runs ranging from 5 km to 42.2 km in a marathon. Aerobic endurance and stamina are key to success in such events. The nine common distances for road races that IAAF recognizes: 10 kilometers, 15 kilometers, 20 kilometers, half-marathon (21.097 km), 25 kilometers, 30 kilometers, marathon (42.195 km), 100 kilometers, and Ekiden marathon relay.

Cross Country Running

Cross Country Kreedon events in athletics
credits: Very Well Fit

It is the natural terrain version of long-distance running. In this event, teams or individual runs through natural terrain courses, comprising of grass, hill, flat ground, gravel road, etc. The courses are generally 4-12 km long. An ideal cross-country course has a loop of 1,750 to 2,000 meters according to IAAF. It should be covered by grass, as much as possible, and include rolling hills “with smooth curves and short straights”.

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It is acceptable for local conditions to make dirt or snow the primary surface. The courses should be able to minimize running on roads or any other macadamized paths. Parks and golf courses are often suitable locations for the same. The team score is simply on the basis of the positions at which each player crosses the finish line. Each player’s score is the same as his/her position and the team score is the total of all the individual scores.

Race Walking

race walking Kreedon events in athletics
credits: Singapore Athletics

This is one of the most unique events in athletics. Race Walking is the kind of foot-race in which one foot should be in contact with the floor at all times. The race judges who are on the sidelines for the same are responsible for the assessment. The two racewalking distances contested at the Summer Olympics are the 20 kilometers race walk (men and women) and 50 kilometers race walk (men only).

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