Athletics
Beginner guide to track and field events
Sprint training tips.
Record-holding sprinter Erriyon Knighton is no stranger to track and field, even if he fell into the sport in his off-season while playing football.
Erriyon Knighton
© Hana Asano / The Red Bulletin
“I kind of just did it (track and field) to stay in shape,” Erriyon says. “And I found out I was good at it, so I just started to do it every year after that.”
You don’t have to be a sprinter to enjoy all that track and field has to offer. This guide to track and field events covers the sports you’ll see in this arena.
01
What track events are there?
Sprinting
Sprinting involves running a short distance as fast as possible. On the world stage, there are three main distances: 100 meters, 200 meters, and 400 meters.
Erriyon Knighton set the world record for boys’ (under 18) 200 meter sprint in 2021, with a time of 20.11 seconds. He beat famed sprinter Usain Bolt’s record by two hundredths of a second. Bolt set numerous records at the 2009 World Athletics Championships, completing the men’s 100-meter spring in 9.59 seconds and the 200-meter sprint in 19.19 seconds.
Erriyon Knighton
© Hana Asano/The Red Bulletin
In women’s sprinting, Florence Griffith-Joyner set a record on the world stage by running the 200-meter sprint in 10.47 seconds. She set that record in 1988, and it has gone undefeated ever since. Notable sprinters who have come close include Sha’Carri Richardson, who achieved a personal best sprint time of 10.71 seconds in 2023; Elaine Thompson-Herah, who reached 10.54 seconds in 2021; and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, who registered 10.60 seconds in 2021.
Middle-Distance Running
Middle-distance running covers track races up to 3,000 meters. Typical distances are 800 meters and 1,500 meters.
No discussion of middle distance running is complete without mentioning Hicham El Guerrouj, who is generally considered one of the greatest middle-distance runners of all time. He set the world record in indoor 1,500 meter racing in 1997 with a run time of 3 minutes, 48 seconds.
If you want to try your hand at middle-distance running, focus on improving your “running economy,” which is the relationship between your running speed and the oxygen your body takes in. Improving your Vo2 max, which is the maximum amount of oxygen your body uses while running, goes a long way in improving how your body handles lactic acid buildup that causes cramping and shortness of breath. You can also incorporate breathing exercises that can help boost stamina.
Long-Distance Running
Also called endurance running, long-distance running, involves running continuous distances over a minimum distance of 3 kilometers. In track and field, 5,000 meter and 10,000 meter distances are common. While marathons and half-marathons are not run on a track, they are sometimes referred to as track and field events in the United States.
One of the most notable long-distance runners is Joshua Cheptegai. He set a world record time in 5,000 meter running, securing the world record in 2020 in Monaco with a time of 12:35.36. This time beat the previous world record by almost 2 seconds, a record held by Kenenisa Bekele for 16 years.
Letesenbet Gidey holds three world records in long-distance running. In June 2021, she set the women’s 10,000-meter record with a time of 29:01.03. She also holds the record in women’s half-marathon running, only the second female athlete to hold both records simultaneously.
Long distance running is good for endurance, enhanced mental focus, and your overall physical health. Training to go the distance involves breaking up your running routine with strength training and shorter recovery runs.
Hurdles
Karsten Warholm competes during Bislett Games in Oslo, Norway in 2023
© Daniel Tengs / Red Bull Content Pool
Hurdle races involve jumping over obstacles while running at high speeds. There are different types of hurdles, including low, intermediate, and high hurdles, of varying heights. They measure anywhere from 27” to 42” tall, depending on the race. The standard hurdle race length is 400 meters for both men and women; there are 110 meter races for men and 100 meter races for women as well. Karsten Warholm ran the world’s first sub-46 second 400 meter race on the world stage in 2020.
Steeplechase, a version of hurdles, involves two types of barriers: hurdles and water jumping. There are 2,500 meter and 4,000 meter steeplechase races; the former has 18 barriers and five water jumps, while the latter has 28 barriers and seven water jumps. Barrier height varies between men’s and women’s races. Inspired by the steeplechase rides done traditionally on horseback, the race entered the world stage in 1900.
Relays
Relay races are run in teams. In a relay race, you run a certain distance and pass a baton to another teammate, who continues the race from there. Two common relay setups are 4x100m relays, which involve four team members each running 100 meters in their own lanes, and 4x400m relays, which involve four team members running 400 meters each. Teams can be all men, all women, or a mix of men and women.
Training for a relay race involves improving your endurance and improving your body’s use of glycogen. Regular steady runs are a core part of relay training, as well as cross-training to give your joints and muscles a break from running.
02
What field events are there?
Jumping
Vashti Cunningham trains in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA on 3 May, 2021.
© Damien Noble Andrews / Red Bull Content Pool
A collection of four events make up jumping events in track and field. They’re divided into two categories: horizontal jumping, where the goal is to jump as far as possible, and vertical jumping, where the goal is to jump as high as possible.
The four events are:
Related
- Long jump: In long jumping, you run down a track and leap as far as possible from a designated takeoff point into a sand pit. Among the most famous long jump athletes are Mike Powell, who holds the men’s long jump world record at 8.95 meters, and Galina Chistyakova, who holds the women’s long jump world record at 7.52 meters.
- Triple jump: The triple jump adds a hop and a bound before you make the leap into the sand pit. Notable triple jumpers include world record holders Jonathan Edwards at 18.29 meters and Yulimar Rojas at 15.67 meters. Another notable triple jumper is Will Claye, who as of June 2019, holds the third-best triple jump distance in history, at 18.14m.
- High jump: In high jumping, you leap unaided over a pole without dislodging it. Typically, you run toward the bar and leap over it with your back toward the bar, a method called the “Fosbury Flop.” World record high jump holders include Javier Sotomayor with a 2.45 meter jump and Stefka Kostadinova with a 2.09 meter jump. Other notable athletes include Vashti Cunningham, who’s considered to be among the world’s best high jumpers.
- Pole vault: In pole vaulting, you use a flexible pole to hurdle yourself over a high bar. The goal is to vault over the bar at varying heights until there’s one athlete left standing. Notable pole vaulters include Armand Duplantis, who holds the world record for both indoor and outdoor pole vaulting, and Yelena Isinbayeva, who holds the women’s world record and is considered one of the greatest female pole vaulters of all time.
Armand Duplantis at Mondo Classic, Uppsala Sweden in 2024
© Richard Ström / Red Bull Content Pool
Training for jumping events
Jumping events of all kinds involve a combination of skill and strength. There’s a mental component as well, as you train your mind to focus on letting go and leaning into the jump to really go the distance. Training techniques that may be beneficial for you include single-leg training to perfect propelling your body forward, sprinting drills to increase speed, and working on core stability through strength training.
Throwing
At their core, throwing events involve tossing a weighted object as far as it can go. These events can trace their roots to ancient Greece and are still played today on the world stage.
These events include:
- Shot put: This throwing event involves tossing a heavy ball as far as possible. In shot put, you’ll retain a specific form that involves tucking your arm by your neck as you prepare to throw the ball. Notable shot put athletes include world record holders Ryan Crouser, who set the men’s outdoor shot put record of 23.56 meters in 2023, and Natalya Lisovskaya, who set the women’s record of 22.63 meters in 1987.
- Discus: Similar to shot put — Crouser is also a known discus athlete — this throwing event involves throwing a flat, heavy disc long distances. The weight of the disc depends on who’s throwing it. Records in this ancient sport have been set by Mykolas Alekna, who holds the world record in men’s discus throwing at 74.35 meters, and Gabriele Reinsch, who set the women’s record at 76.80 meters in 1988.
- Hammer: This event involves throwing a weighted ball attached to a wire. To throw the hammer, you’ll stand in a designated circle and swing the hammer a few times to gain momentum before releasing it. Whoever throws the hammer farthest wins the competition. Noted hammer throwers include Anita Włodarczyk, who is the first woman in history to throw the hammer more than 80 meters.
- Javelin: This ancient sport involves throwing a spear called a javelin as far as you can, as long as it lands in a designated area at the end of the throwing area. You’ll accelerate on a runway that’s at least 30 meters long, with a designated throwing area around 8 meters long at the end of the runway. There, you must release the javelin and stop running. Javelin throwing technique is carefully controlled, too. Jan Železný set the world record for javelin throwing in 2001, with a distance of 98.48 meters.
Niklas Kaul at the 2022 European Championships in Munich, Germany
© Phil Pham / Red Bull Content Pool
Training for throwing events
Throwing events require explosive power behind them. Aside from improving your throwing skills, you can expect warmups, strength training, and lifting to be a part of your training routine. Plyometrics are particularly good for perfecting your balance, so expect side-to-sides and high knees to be a part of your training. Other core stabilizers like planks and lunges help you keep form and propel the throwing object.
03
What are combined events in track and field?
Two combined events bring all of track and field into a single, multi-day affair: the decathlon for men and the heptathlon for women. Both events are renowned for their difficulty and are widely regarded as among the hardest competitions you can attempt. You earn points for each activity, and the person with the highest score is declared the winner. Nafissatou 'Nafi' Thiam is one of the only women in history to break the 7,000-point heptathlon barrier.
Thiam in action at the European Championships
© Daniel Kopatsch/Red Bull Content Pool
A decathlon encompasses 10 events performed in a specific order over two days. The events are held in rapid succession with little time to recover in between. The first day of a decathlon covers a 100-meter dash, a long jump, shot put, high jump, and a 400-meter dash. The second day involves a 110-meter hurdle, discus, pole vault, javelin, and a 1500-meter race.
A heptathlon is the same principle as a decathlon, but with seven events instead of 10. While there is a women’s scoring system for a decathlon, a heptathlon is still reserved for only female competitors. The first day starts off with a 100-meter hurdle, followed by high jump, shot put, and a 200-meter dash. The second day consists of a long jump, javelin throwing, and a 800-meter run.
Exploring the wide world of track and field
Whether you want to try something new in shot put, beat your personal sprinting best, or want to push your limits by participating in a decathlon, there’s a world of ways to participate in track and field events. You don’t need to break a world record to enjoy a new sport. With the right training, the right supplies, and a place to practice, you can give these classic events a try for yourself.