Athletics competitions have been held at the quadrennial Bolivarian Games since the inaugural edition 1938 in Bogotá, Colombia. A detailed history of the early editions of the Bolivarian Games between 1938 and 1989 including extensive lists of participating athletes and officials from Bolivia was published in a book written (in Spanish) by José Gamarra Zorrilla, former president of the Bolivian Olympic Committee, and first president (1976-1982) of ODESUR.