What Are the Five Track & Field Events?

From high-school track meets to Olympic competitions, track and field events combine running, jumping and throwing activities that challenge athletes' strength, agility and speed. Track and field events are so called because the events take place in a stadium with a central grass or turf field surrounded by an oval-shaped running track. Though some athletes compete in multiple events, most athletes have expertise in a single event or several closely related events.

  1. Sprinting

    • Sprints, short-distance runs that test an athlete's speed, have a long history in the Olympic games. The short-distance runs were the standard events in the Olympics in ancient Greece, according to historian Dr. Stephen Instone. Traditional sprint distances include 60 m, 100 m, 200 m and 400 m, though non-professional-level competitions might include sprints at distances form 50 to 500 m. Hurdle events, in which athletes must jump over a series of raised wood barriers during the run, are typically considered sprints because the distances tend to be less than 400 m.

    Distance Running

    • Long-distance runs are traditional track events that test athletes' speed and endurance. Distance runs that range from 800 to 3,000 m are considered middle-distance runs; long-distance runs are typically 5,000 and 10,000 m in professional Olympic competitions. Though long-distance runs do not typically involve hurdles, the 3,000-m steeplechase event is an exception. During the steeplechase, athletes must jump over four sets of hurdles and a water barrier during each of the seven laps of the race.

    Jumping Events

    • Track and field competitions include the long jump, high jump, triple jump and pole vault. Jumping events test athletes' muscular strength, flexibility, agility and body control. During the long jump and the triple jump, an athlete takes a running start before jumping into a narrow pit of soft sand. The triple jump is so named because an athlete takes a two-step hop before jumping into the pit, whereas long jumpers have a longer running start. In a high jump, an athlete propels himself a short distance before launching over a horizontal pole suspending above a mat. In pole vaulting, athletes take a running start with a large, flexible pole, which they use to propel themselves over a high horizontal bar.

    Throwing Events

    • Throwing events focus on upper-body strength, rather than speed or endurance. All track-and-field throwing events challenge an athlete to throw an object over a significant distance or with precise accuracy. The shot put, discus throw and hammer throw all restrict athletes to a small legal throwing area, where they can set up and release their throw. The goal is to achieve significant distance, but each event uses a differently sized, shaped and weighted object. Shot puts are small, dense spheres, field hammers are attached to wires or cords, and the discus is flat and round like a plate. The javelin throw permits an athlete a running start before he launches a long spear-like pole into a soft surface, such as sand or turf.

    Combination Events

    • Track and field events can be combined to create more complex, longer-lasting events that test a range of athletic skills. The most complex event is the decathlon, which includes sprints, long-distance runs, long and high jumps, a pole vault, and shot put, discus and javelin throws. Heptathlon and pentathlons are modified decathlons fewer numbers of events.