# 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

| Event | Olympic Games | Olympic Games | Outdoor Championships | Outdoor Championships | Indoor Championships | Indoor Championships | Other World Athletics Championships | Other World Athletics Championships | Notes |
| Event | Men | Women | Men | Women | Men | Women | Men | Women | Notes |
| 60 metres | 1900 – 1904 | | | | 1985 – Present | 1985 – Present | | | |
| 100 metres | 1896 – Present | 1928 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1983 – Present | | | | | |
| 200 metres | 1900 – Present | 1948 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1985 – 2004 | 1985 – 2004 | | | |
| 400 metres | 1896 – Present | 1964 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1985 – Present | 1985 – Present | | | |
| 800 metres | 1896 – Present | 1928, 1960 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1985 – Present | 1985 – Present | | | |
| 1500 metres | 1896 – Present | 1972 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1985 – Present | 1985 – Present | | | |
| 3000 metres | | 1984 – 1992 | | 1983 – 1993 | 1985 – Present | 1985 – Present | | | |
| 5000 metres | 1912 – Present | 1996 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1995 – Present | | | | | |
| 10,000 metres | 1912 – Present | 1988 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1987 – Present | | | | | |
| 4×100 metres relay | 1912 – Present | 1928 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1983 – Present | | | | | |
| 4×400 metres relay | 1912 – Present | 1972 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1991 – Present | 1991 – Present | | | |
| Mixed 4×400 metres relay | 2020 – Present | 2020 – Present | 2019 – Present | 2019 – Present | | | | | |
| 60 metres hurdles | | | | | 1985 – Present | 1985 – Present | | | |
| 100 metres hurdles | | 1972 – Present | | 1983 – Present | | | | | |
| 110 metres hurdles | 1896 – Present | | 1983 – Present | | | | | | |
| 400 metres hurdles | 1900 – Present (except 1912) | 1984 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1983 – Present | | | | | |
| 3000 metres steeplechase | 1920 – Present | 2008 – Present | 1983 – Present | 2005 – Present | | | | | |
| Mile run (road) | | | | | | | 2023 – Present | 2023 – Present | World Road Running Championships |
| 5 kilometres (road) | | | | | | | 2023 – Present | 2023 – Present | World Road Running Championships |
| Half-marathon (road) | | | | | | | 1992 – Present (except 2006) | 1992 – Present | Held 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 run |
| Marathon (road) | 1896 – Present | 1984 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1983 – Present | | | | | |
| 20 kilometres race walk (road) | 1956 – Present | 2000 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1999 – Present | | | | | |
| 35 kilometres race walk (road) | | | 2022 – Present | 2022 – Present | | | | | |
| Marathon race walk mixed relay (road) | 2024 – Present | 2024 – Present | 2024 – Present | 2024 – Present | | | | | World Race Walking Team Championships |
| Cross country running | 1912 – 1924 | | | | | | 1973 – Present | 1973 – Present | World Athletics Cross Country Championships |
| Cross country running mixed relay | | | | | | | 2017 – Present | 2017 – Present | World Athletics Cross Country Championships |
| Pole vault | 1896 – Present | 2000 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1999 – Present | 1985 – Present | 1997 – Present | | | |
| High jump | 1896 – Present | 1928 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1985 – Present | 1985 – Present | | | |
| Long jump | 1896 – Present | 1948 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1985 – Present | 1985 – Present | | | |
| Triple jump | 1896 – Present | 1996 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1993 – Present | 1985 – Present | 1993 – Present | | | |
| Shot put | 1896 – Present | 1948 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1985 – Present | 1985 – Present | | | |
| Discus throw | 1896 – Present | 1928 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1983 – Present | | | | | |
| Hammer throw | 1900 – Present | 2000 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1999 – Present | | | | | |
| Javelin throw | 1908 – Present | 1932 – Present | 1983 – Present | 1983 – Present | | | | | |
| Pentathlon | 1912 – 1924 | 1964 – 1980 | | | | 1995 – Present | | | |
| Heptathlon | | 1984 – Present | | 1983 – Present | 1995 – Present | | | | |
| Decathlon | 1912 – Present | | 1983 – Present | | | | | | |

### Former championship events

| Event | Olympic Games | Olympic Games | Outdoor Championships | Outdoor Championships | Indoor Championships | Indoor Championships | Other World Athletics Championships | Other World Athletics Championships | Notes |
| Event | Men | Women | Men | Women | Men | Women | Men | Women | Notes |
| 4 × 200 metres relay | | | | | | | 2014 – 2021 | 2014 – 2021 | |
| Sprint medley relay | 1908 | | | | | | | | |
| Mixed 2 × 2 × 400 metres relay | | | | | | | 2019 – 2021 | 2019 – 2021 | World Relay Championships |
| 4 × 800 metres relay | | | | | | | 2014 – 2017 | 2014 – 2017 | World Relay Championships |
| Distance medley relay | | | | | | | 2015 | 2015 | World Relay Championships |
| 4 × 1500 metres relay | | | | | | | 2014 | 2014 | World Relay Championships |
| 3000 metres team race | 1912 – 1924 | | | | | | | | |
| 80 metres hurdles | | 1932 – 1968 | | | | | | | |
| 200 metres hurdles | 1900 – 1904 | | | | | | | | |
| Shuttle hurdle relay | | | | | | | 2019 – 2021 | 2019 – 2021 | World Relay Championships |
| 3000 metres race walk (track) | | | | | | 1985 – 1993 | | | |
| 5000 metres race walk (track) | | | | | 1985 – 1993 | | | | |
| 10,000 metres race walk (track) | 1912 – 1924, 1948 – 1952 | 1992 – 1996 | | 1987 – 1997 | | | | | |
| 10 kilometres (road) | | | | | | | | 1983 – 1984 | World Women's Road Race Championships |
| 15 kilometres (road) | | | | | | | | 1985 – 1991 | World Women's Road Race Championships |
| 20 kilometres (road) | | | | | | | 2006 | 2006 | Replaced the half-marathon in 2006 only at the World Road Running Championships |
| 50 kilometres race walk (road) | 1932 – 2020 (except 1976) | | 1983 – 2019 | 2017 – 2019 | | | | | |
| Marathon relay (road) | | | | | | | 1992 – 1998 | 1992 – 1998 | World Road Relay Championships |
| Cross country running short race | | | | | | | 1998 – 2006 | 1998 – 2006 | World Cross Country Championships |
| Standing high jump | 1900 – 1912 | | | | | | | | |
| Standing long jump | 1900 – 1912 | | | | | | | | |
| Standing triple jump | 1900 – 1904 | | | | | | | | |
| 56 pound weight throw | 1904, 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
### 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