# 1979 in the sport of athletics

This article contains an overview of the year 1979 in athletics.

## Major events
### World

* World Cross Country Championships
* World Cup

### Regional

* African Championships
* Asian Championships
* CARIFTA Games
* Central American and Caribbean Championships
* European Indoor Championships
* Pan American Games
* South American Championships
* South American Youth Championships
* Summer Universiade

## World records
### Men

| Event | Athlete | Nation | Performance | Place | Date |
| 200 m | Pietro Mennea | Italy | 19.72 | Mexico City, Mexico | 12 September |
| 800 m | Sebastian Coe | United Kingdom | 1:42.33 | Oslo, Norway | 5 July |
| 1500 m | Sebastian Coe | United Kingdom | 3:32.03 | Zürich, Switzerland | 15 August |
| Mile | Sebastian Coe | United Kingdom | 3:48.95 | Oslo, Norway | 17 July |
| 110 m hurdles | Renaldo Nehemiah | United States | 13.16 | San Jose, United States | 14 April |
| 110 m hurdles | Renaldo Nehemiah | United States | 13.00 | Westwood, Los Angeles, California, United States | 6 May |

### Women

| Event | Athlete | Nation | Performance | Place | Date |
| 200 m | Marita Koch | East Germany | 22.02 | Leipzig, East Germany | 3 June |
| 200 m | Marita Koch | East Germany | 21.71 | Karl-Marx-Stadt, East Germany | 10 June |
| 400 m | Marita Koch | East Germany | 48.89 | Potsdam, East Germany | 29 July |
| 400 m | Marita Koch | East Germany | 48.60 | Turin, Italy | 4 August |
| Mile | Natalia Mărășescu | Romania | 4:22.1 | Auckland, New Zealand | 27 January |
| 100 m hurdles | Grażyna Rabsztyn | Poland | 12.48 | Warsaw, Poland | 18 June |
| 400 m hurdles | Marina Styepanova | Russia | 54.78 | Moscow, Russia | 27 July |
| Javelin throw | Ruth Fuchs | East Germany | 69.52 m | Dresden, East Germany | 13 June |
| 4 × 100 metres relay | Marita Koch Romy Müller Ingrid Auerswald Marlies Göhr | East Germany | 42.10 | Karl-Marx-Stadt, East Germany | 10 June |
| 4 × 100 metres relay | Christina Lathan Romy Müller Ingrid Auerswald Marlies Göhr | East Germany | 42.09 | Turin, Italy | 4 August |
| 4 × 200 metres relay | Raisa Makhova Nina Zyuskova Tatyana Prorochenko Maria Kulchunova | Soviet Union | 1:30.74 | Moscow, Soviet Union | 29 July |

## Season's bests

Best marks of the year :
| Event | Men | Men | Men | Women | Women | Women |
| Event | Athlete | Mark | Notes | Athlete | Mark | Notes |
| 100 metres | Pietro Mennea (ITA) | 10.01 | | Marlies Göhr (GDR) Evelyn Ashford (USA) | 10.97 | |
| 200 metres | Pietro Mennea (ITA) | 19.72 | WR | Marita Koch (GDR) | 21.71 | WR |
| 400 metres | Harald Schmid (FRG) | 44.92 | | Marita Koch (GDR) | 48.60 | WR |
| 800 metres | Sebastian Coe (GBR) | 1:42.33 | WR | Totka Petrova (BUL) | 1:56.2 | |
| 1500 metres | Sebastian Coe (GBR) | 3:32.03 | WR | Totka Petrova (BUL) | 3:57.4 | |
| 3000 metres | Rudy Chapa (USA) | 7:37.70 | | Grete Waitz (NOR) | 8:31.75 | |
| 5000 metres | Suleiman Nyambui (TAN) | 13:12.29 | | — | — | — |
| 10,000 metres | Karl Fleschen (FRG) | 27:36.8 | | — | — | — |
| 100/110 metres hurdles | Renaldo Nehemiah (USA) | 13.00 | WR | Grażyna Rabsztyn (POL) | 12.48 | WR |
| 400 metres hurdles | Edwin Moses (USA) | 47.53 | | Marina Styepanova (RUS) | 54.78 | WR |
| 3000 metres steeplechase | Henry Rono (KEN) | 8:17.92 | | — | — | — |
| High jump | Dietmar Mögenburg (GER) | 2.32 m | | Rosemarie Ackermann (GDR) | 1.99 m | |
| Pole vault | Patrick Abada (FRA) Philippe Houvion (FRA) | 5.65 m | | — | — | — |
| Long jump | Larry Myricks (USA) | 8.52 m | | Brigitte Wujak (GDR) | 6.90 m | |
| Triple jump | João Carlos de Oliveira (BRA) | 17.27 m | | — | — | — |
| Shot put | Udo Beyer (GER) | 21.74 m | | Ilona Slupianek (GDR) | 22.04 m | |
| Discus throw | Mac Wilkins (USA) | 70.66 m | | Evelin Jahl (GDR) | 69.82 m | |
| Hammer throw | Sergey Litvinov (URS) | 79.82 m | | — | — | — |
| Javelin throw | Pentti Sinersaari (FIN) | 93.84 m | | Ruth Fuchs (GDR) | 69.52 m | WR |
| Decathlon | Guido Kratschmer (FRG) | 8476 pts | | — | — | — |
| 4 × 100 metres relay | United States Mike Roberson Harvey Glance Bill Collins Mel Lattany | 38.30 | | East Germany Christina Lathan Romy Müller Ingrid Auerswald Marlies Göhr | 42.09 | WR |
| 4 × 400 metres relay | United States Herman Frazier Bill Green Willie Smith Tony Darden | 3:00.70 | | East Germany Gabriele Kotte Christina Lathan Brigitte Rohde Marita Koch | 3:19.62 | |