# 2011 in the sport of athletics

In 2011, the foremost athletics event was the 2011 World Championships in Athletics in Daegu. The other major global level competition held in 2011 was the World Cross Country Championships.
The 2011 season marked the re-establishment of the African Cross Country Championships, an event created in response to the change of the World Cross Championships from an annual to a biennial format. It was also the first year since 1992 that the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was not held, as that competition also switched to a two-year schedule.

## Major events
### World

* World Championships in Athletics
* World Cross Country Championships
* IAAF Diamond League
* World Youth Championships in Athletics
* IPC Athletics World Championships
* World Student Games
* Military World Games

### Regional

* CAC Championships
* NACAC Cross Country Championships
* Pan American Games
* Pan American Junior Championships
* South American Championships
* South American Cross Country Championships
* European Indoor Championships
* European Cross Country Championships
* European Team Championships
* European U23 Championships
* European Junior Championships
* European Youth Olympic Festival
* Commonwealth Youth Games
* Asian Championships
* Pan Arab Games
* Southeast Asian Games
* All-Africa Games
* African Junior Championships
* African Cross Country Championships

### National

| Dates | Event | City |
| 12–13 February | Austrian Indoor Championships | Linz |
| 12–13 February | Latvian Indoor Championships | Kuldīga |
| 18–19 February | Lithuanian Indoor Championships | Klaipėda |
| 19–21 April | Tonga Championships | Nukuʻalofa |
| 30–31 May | Armenian Championships | Artashat |
| 10–12 June | Japanese Championships | Kumagaya |
| 23–26 June | USA Championships | Eugene |
| 24–25 June | Bahamian Championships | Freeport |
| 25–26 June | Italian Championships | Turin |
| 23–24 July | German Championships | Kassel |
| 23–24 July | Lithuanian Championships | Kaunas |
| 30–31 July | Latvian Championships | |
| 6–7 August | Spanish Championships | Málaga |
| 11–13 August | Polish Championships | Bydgoszcz |

## World records
### Men

| Event | Athlete | Nation | Performance | Meeting | Place | Date |
| Triple jump (indoor) | Teddy Tamgho | France | 17.91 m | French Indoor Championships | Aubière, France | 20 February |
| Triple jump (indoor) | Teddy Tamgho | France | 17.92 m17.92 m | European Indoor Championships | Paris, France | 6 March |
| Indoor heptathlon | Ashton Eaton | United States | 6568 pts | International Indoor Combined Events Meeting | Tallinn, Estonia | 5–6 February |
| 25,000 metres (track) 30,000 metres (track) | Moses Mosop | Kenya | 1:12:25.4+1:26:47.4 | Prefontaine Classic | Eugene, Oregon, USA | 4 June |
| 30 km (road) | Peter Cheruiyot Kirui | Kenya | 1:27:37+ | 2011 Berlin Marathon | Berlin, Germany | 25 September |
| Marathon | Patrick Makau | Kenya | 2:03:38 | 2011 Berlin Marathon | Berlin, Germany | 25 September |
| 4 × 100 metres relay | Nesta Carter Michael Frater Yohan Blake Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 37.04 | World Championships in Athletics | Daegu, South Korea | 4 September |
| 50,000 m track walk | Yohann Diniz | France | 3:35:27.20 | N/A | Reims, France | 12 March |

### Women

| Event | Athlete | Nation | Performance | Meeting | Place | Date |
| 4 × 800 m relay (indoor) | Team Moscow Aleksandra Bulanova Yekaterina Martynova Yelena Kofanova Anna Balakshina | Russia | 8:06.24 | Russian Indoor Championships | Moscow, Russia | 18 February |
| 20 km road | Mary Keitany | Kenya | 1:02:36+ | Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon | Ras Al Khaimah, UAE | 18 February |
| Half marathon | Mary Keitany | Kenya | 1:05:50 | Ras Al Khaimah Half Marathon | Ras Al Khaimah, UAE | 18 February |
| Hammer throw | Betty Heidler | Germany | 79.42 m | International Throwing Meeting | Halle, Germany | 21 May |
| 20 km road walk | Vera Sokolova | Russia | 1:25:08 | Russian Race Walking Championships | Sochi, Russia | 26 February |

## Season's bests

Best marks of the year :
| Event | Men | Men | Men | Women | Women | Women |
| Event | Athlete | Mark | Notes | Athlete | Mark | Notes |
| 60 metres | Mike Rodgers (USA) | 6.48 | | LaKya Brookins (USA) | 7.09 | |
| 100 metres | Usain Bolt (JAM) | 9.76 | | Carmelita Jeter (USA) | 10.70 | |
| 200 metres | Yohan Blake (JAM) | 19.26 | | Shalonda Solomon (USA) | 22.15 | |
| 400 metres | LaShawn Merritt (USA) | 44.35 | | Amantle Montsho (BOT) | 49.56 | $^†$ |
| 800 metres | David Rudisha (KEN) | 1:41.33 | | Mariya Savinova (RUS) | 1:55.87 | |
| 1500 metres | Asbel Kiprop (KEN) | 3:30.46 | | Morgan Uceny (USA) | 4:00.06 | |
| Mile run | Haron Keitany (KEN) | 3:49.09 | | Jennifer Simpson (USA) | 4:28.60 | |
| 3000 metres | Yenew Alamirew (ETH) | 7:27.26 | | Sentayehu Ejigu (ETH) | 8:30.26 | indoor |
| 5000 metres | Mo Farah (GBR) | 12:53.11 | | Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) | 14:20.87 | |
| 10,000 metres | Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) | 26:43.16 | | Sally Jepkosgei Kipyego (KEN) | 30:38.35 | |
| 60 metres hurdles | David Oliver (USA) | 7.37 | | Kellie Wells (USA) | 7.79 | |
| 100/110 metres hurdles | David Oliver (USA) | 12.94 | | Sally Pearson (AUS) | 12.28 | |
| 400 metres hurdles | L.J. van Zyl (RSA) | 47.66 | | Lashinda Demus (USA) | 52.47 | |
| 3000 metres steeplechase | Brimin Kipruto (KEN) | 7:53.64 | | Yuliya Zaripova (RUS) | 9:07.03 | |
| 10 kilometres | Micah Kogo (KEN) Leonard Komon (KEN) | 27:15 | | Joyce Chepkirui (KEN) | 30:38 | |
| 15 kilometres | Leonard Komon (KEN) | 41:26 | | Mary Keitany (KEN) | 46:40 | |
| 20 kilometres | Deriba Merga (ETH) | 56:16 | | Mary Keitany (KEN) | 1:02:36 | WR |
| Half marathon | Zersenay Tadese (ERI) | 58:30 | | Mary Keitany (KEN) | 1:05:50 | WR |
| 25 kilometres | Mathew Kisorio (KEN) | 1:12:13 | | Mary Keitany (KEN) | 1:21:38 | |
| 30 kilometres | Peter Cheruiyot Kirui (KEN) | 1:27:37 | WR | Liliya Shobukhova (RUS) | 1:38:23 | WR |
| Marathon | Patrick Makau (KEN) | 2:03:38 | WR | Liliya Shobukhova (RUS) | 2:18:20 | |
| 20 kilometres race walk | Wang Zhen (CHN) | 1:18:30 | | Vera Sokolova (RUS) | 1:25:08 | WR |
| 50 kilometres race walk | Sergey Bakulin (RUS) | 3:38:46 | | — | — | — |
| Pole vault | Renaud Lavillenie (FRA) | 6.03 m | indoor | Jennifer Suhr (USA) | 4.91 m | |
| High jump | Ivan Ukhov (RUS) | 2.38 m | indoor | Anna Chicherova (RUS) | 2.07 m | NR |
| Long jump | Mitchell Watt (AUS) | 8.54 m | | Brittney Reese (USA) | 7.19 m | |
| Triple jump | Christian Taylor (USA) | 17.96 m | | Yargelis Savigne (CUB) Caterine Ibargüen (COL) | 14.99 m | |
| Shot put | Dylan Armstrong (CAN) | 22.21 m | | Valerie Adams (NZL) | 21.24 m | |
| Discus throw | Zoltán Kővágó (HUN) | 69.50 m | | Li Yanfeng (CHN) | 67.98 m | $^†$ |
| Javelin throw | Andreas Thorkildsen (NOR) | 90.61 m | | Barbora Špotáková (CZE) | 71.58 m | $^†$ |
| Hammer throw | Krisztián Pars (HUN) | 81.89 m | | Betty Heidler (GER) | 79.42 m | WR |
| Pentathlon | — | — | — | Antoinette Nana Djimou Ida (FRA) | 4723 pts | |
| Heptathlon | Ashton Eaton (USA) | 6568 pts | WR | Jessica Ennis-Hill (GBR) | 6790 pts | $^†$ |
| Decathlon | Ashton Eaton (USA) | 8729 pts | | — | — | — |
| 4 × 100 metres relay | Jamaica Nesta Carter Michael Frater Yohan Blake Usain Bolt | 37.04 | WR | United States Bianca Knight Allyson Felix Marshevet Myers Carmelita Jeter | 41.56 | |
| 4 × 400 metres relay | United States Greg Nixon Jamaal Torrance Michael Berry LaShawn Merritt | 2:58.82 | | United States Sanya Richards-Ross Allyson Felix Jessica Beard Francena McCorory | | 3:18.09 |
* $^†$ = Russia's Anastasiya Kapachinskaya ran 49.35 in July in at the Russian National Championships in Cheboksary, but this was annulled after she later failed a drug test.
* $^†$ = Russia's Mariya Abakumova threw 71.99, a championship record, at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, but this was annulled after she later failed a drug test.
* $^†$ = Croatia's Sandra Perković had a throw of 69.99 m in June in Varaždin, but this was annulled after she later failed a drug test.
* $^†$ = Russia's Tatyana Chernova accumulated 6880 points at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics, but this was annulled after she later failed a drug test.

## Awards
### Men

| Award | Winner |
| IAAF World Athlete of the Year | Usain Bolt (JAM) |
| Track & Field Athlete of the Year | David Rudisha (KEN) |
| European Athlete of the Year | Mo Farah (GBR) |
| European Athletics Rising Star | David Storl (GER) |

### Women

| Award | Winner |
| IAAF World Athlete of the Year | Sally Pearson (AUS) |
| Track & Field Athlete of the Year | Vivian Cheruiyot (KEN) |
| European Athlete of the Year | Mariya Savinova (RUS) |
| European Athletics Rising Star | Jodie Williams (GBR) |

## Deaths

* 3 January – Zbigniew Jaremski (61), 400 m relay silver medallist at the 1976 Olympics
* 16 January – Stefka Yordanova (64), 1973 European indoor champion over 800 m
* 3 February – Robert Young (95), 400 m relay silver medallist at the 1936 Olympics
* 5 February – Albert Yator (17), Kenyan world junior steeplechase medalist
* 13 February – Inese Jaunzeme (78), javelin thrower and Latvia's first Olympic champion
* 19 February – Ollie Matson (70), 400 m runner and 1952 Olympic medallist
* 25 February – Peter Hildreth (82), 1950 European Championships medallist in the hurdles
* 14 March – Eduard Gushchin (60), 1968 Olympic medallist in the shot put
* 19 April – Grete Waitz (57), distance runner and world champion and record holder in the marathon
* 16 May – Samuel Wanjiru (24), first Kenyan to win the Olympic marathon and a former half marathon world record holder
* 28 May – Romuald Klim (78), 1964 Olympic champion and former world record holder in the hammer throw
* 30 May – Ricky Bruch, (64) former world record holder in the discus throw
* 6 June – Benjamín González (53), World and European indoor medallist over 400 and 800 metres
* 10 June – Cosimo Caliandro (29), 3000 metres gold medallist at the 2007 European Indoors
* 10 July – Ragnar Lundberg (86), pole vaulter and 1950 European champion
* 12 July – Kurt Lundquist (85), 400 m runner and 1948 Olympic relay medallist
* 17 August – Pierre Quinon (49), 1984 Olympic pole vault champion
* 2 October – Vera Popkova (68), 1971 European indoor champion over 400 metres
* 13 October – Abdoulaye Seye (77), sprinter and 1960 Olympic medallist over 200 m
* 12 December – Sunday Bada (42), 1997 World indoor champion over 400 metres and Olympic relay gold medallist