Latest TRACK AND FIELD News

Latest TRACK AND FIELD News

More TRACK AND FIELD News

Gout Gout’s Recent Win Under Scrutiny As Track & Field Community Sparks Debate

Seventeen-year-old Australian sprinting sensation Gout Gout won the U23 200m at the Monaco Diamond League with a time of 20.10 seconds.
Gout gout

Femke Bol Erases American Dominance As Monaco Skies Witness History

Femke Bol stuns Monaco crowd with historic 400m hurdles win, ending years of U.S. dominance in a race filled with significance.
Femke Bol

Noah Lyles Breaks Free of 11-Month Curse as Diamond League Streak Survives Major Threat

Noah Lyles shares surprising feelings at the Monaco Diamond League after ending the 11-month-long curse against Letsile Tebogo.
LYLES Noah Team USA 7.Tag Leichtathletik 200m Maenner Finale Paris Olympische Spiele 2024 08. 08. 2024 Paris *** LYLES N

Julien Alfred Shows Frustration After Tough Week but Finds Grounding in Coach’s Return

Julien Alfred triumphed at the Monaco Diamond League. However, her winning credits goes to someone else! Here's why!
Julien Alfred

Mondo Duplantis Admits Fear of Falling After Another Missed Shot at the World Record

Mondo Duplantis opens up about fear of falling after failing to break his own world record at 6.29m during Monaco Diamond League.
Mondo Duplantis shocked

Noah Lyles Drops Huge Update Over Injury Concerns After Being Robbed of Homecoming Plans

Noah Lyles breaks silence on injury concerns after missing his U.S. 200m homecoming. What had went wrong? Find out!
Athletics – Men’s 200m Semi-Finals

Noah Lyles Admits Regret on Kishane Thompson Race After Defeating Letsile Tebogo

After setting a reply to Letsile Tebogo on the track for the loss in the Paris Olympics, Noah Lyles says something for Kishane Thompson.
Noah Lyles, Kishane Thompson

Letsile Tebogo Upset With Diamond League Organizers After Noah Lyles’ Race Raises Questions

Letsile Tebogo voices frustration with officials after losing to Noah Lyles in Monaco, questioning Diamond League race conduct.
Letsile Tebogo and Noah Lyles

Gout Gout’s Recent Win Under Scrutiny As Track & Field Community Sparks Debate

Seventeen-year-old Australian sprinting sensation Gout Gout won the U23 200m at the Monaco Diamond League with a time of 20.10 seconds.
Gout gout

Femke Bol Erases American Dominance As Monaco Skies Witness History

Femke Bol stuns Monaco crowd with historic 400m hurdles win, ending years of U.S. dominance in a race filled with significance.
Femke Bol

Femke Bol Puts Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Under Pressure After Monaco Diamond League Run

Femke Bol’s phenomenal victory in the Monaco Diamond League comes with several statements for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (1)

Letsile Tebogo Favored Over Noah Lyles as Fans Deliver Bold Verdict Ahead of Showdown

Tonight at the Monaco Diamond League, the highly anticipated 200m rematch between Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo is set to ignite the track.
Letsile Tebogo Noah Lyles

Track & Field Legend Issues Wake-Up Call Weeks After Clayton Twins Stunned Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Clayton twins' bond and shared pursuit, as highlighted by Justin Gatlin, have captured the track world's heart, with hopes high for future
Fraser-Tina (1)

American Track & Field Legend Spares Words for Kishane Thompson After Prefontaine

Kishane Thompson has left a solid impression on a track and field veteran! And has won rounds of praise from the legend!
240804 Kishane Thompson of Jamaica reacts at the finish line of men™s athletics 100 meter final during day 9 of the Pari

Grant Holloway Faces Another Setback as World Title Bid Hits Major Roadblock

The 2025 Monaco Diamond League, set for July 11th, faces athlete withdrawals, notably reigning 110m hurdles champion Grant Holloway.
TRACK & FIELD: FEB 02 New Balance Indoor Grand Prix

Letsile Tebogo Makes Surprising Noah Lyles Confession Just Hours Before Highly Anticipated Showdown

The Monaco Diamond League's 200m race tomorrow features a highly anticipated clash at 200m between Letsile Tebogo and Noah Lyles.
Letsile Tebogo and Noah Lyles

Noah Lyles vs Letsile Tebogo: Why Olympic 200m Champion Has a Higher Chance Over Monaco Soil

After making a headline worthy annoucement can Noah Lyles back it up against Letsile Tebogo, the 200m Paris Olympic winner?
Letsile Tebogo Noah Lyles

Track Star Who Broke Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone’s Record Makes Surprising Confession

Despite breaking the long-standing record of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the track star shared the reason for her concerns
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

Letsile Tebogo Issues Stark Warning to US Team & Others Ahead of Noah Lyles’ Race

Letsile Tebogo warns rivals with bold confession after Doha win, signaling serious threat ahead of showdown with Noah Lyles—who's ready?
Letsile Tebogo Noah Lyles

Justin Gatlin Calls for Action in Track and Field as Noah Lyles’ Message Echoes Louder

Weeks after Noah Lyles argued over track and field sports issues, Justin Gatlin joins in the conversation with another Olympic medalist.
Noah Lyles

Gabby Thomas Flexes Near $50,000 Celebration as Track and Field Rise Gains Steam

Gabby Thomas, the world's top-ranked women's 200m runner recently celebrated her immense success by purchasing a new luxirous gift.
An absolute dream 🥹 #Olympics #Paris2024

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Recalls Silent Grief That Made Her Question Everything After Paris: “I Felt So Broken”

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce missed her 100m semi-final at the Paris 2024 Olympics due to a devastating muscle cramp, recalls her support system
Athletics – Women’s 100m Round 1

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Recalls Facing Massive Silent Struggle One Year Before Allyson Felix Brought the Conversation to Light

Six years later, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce opens up about things that make her and Allyson Felix’s paths get mixed somewhere.
Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone Breaks Silence on the Hidden Cost of Fame and Perfection: ‘I Wanted All Of It”

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, two-time Olympic gold medalist, talks about how newfound purpose now drives her on and off the track.
Grand Slam Track In Philadelphia – Day Two

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce Confronts Quiet Collapse Behind Paris Olympics Absence: ‘Ripped Out of My Hands’

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, experienced severe physical distress and panic during training at the Paris 2024 Olympics
World Athletics Championships Budapest 23; Hungary, 26.08.2023 Shelly-Ann FRASER-PRYCE of JAMAICA (JAM) at the World Ath

Rai Benjamin’s Red Flag Sparks Major Debate as Track and Field Community Divided Following Latest Defeat

Rai Benjamin had his first loss since 2023 in the 400 m H, and the consequences of it have sparked debates in the track and field community.
Rai Benjamin

About TRACK AND FIELD

Speed. Technique. Thrill. Track and Field is a sport that incorporates all this and more. Races so electrifying that they bring the house down, speeds so blazing that you might miss them in the blink of an eye, and rivalries so intense that there is a constant tussle for dominance. Well, the recently concluded 2024 Paris Olympics provided a hearty dose of track action. And now, the ongoing Diamond League circuit is ensuring that track fans continue to be on the edge of their seats. But, do you know what the initial days of this fascinating sport looked like?

Track and Field: History and evolution of the sport

On the marks, set, go. If only the evolution of track and field were so easy. Instead, it was something that gradually happened over years of evolution.

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Ancient- One of the oldest sports to have existed, the cornerstone of track and field was laid by the Greeks, where men would exhibit their athletic talents as part of celebratory events. Initially limited to foot races, stadion and diaulos were the competitions that comprised the crux of the sport, which has been around since the first Olympics in Ancient Greece, dating back to 776 B.C. Although the Romans continued the games till 394 A.D., when it was banned, the sport saw a resurgence after the decline of the Roman empire. Tracing back to the 16th and 17th centuries, foot races had become a regular sight in Europe.

Modern- The 1860s predominantly saw the wave of transformation, wherein the first championships featuring amateur men were held in England. Athletic clubs and organizations sprung up across Europe and the United States, with the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) coming into being in 1887.

Olympic age- 1896, was when the first Modern Olympic Games were flagged off in Athens, which included track and field in the sports that debuted.

20th century- With athletes flocking from across the world to exhibit their athletic talent, track and field's stature elevated substantially. Technical developments fostered improvements in training and diet, and the track saw the likes of legends like Jesse Owens, Usain Bolt, Flo-Jo, etc coming out at the top.

What are the major events in track and field?

Track and field is a sport that covers a plethora of events under its banner. Speaking of the Olympics in particular, it features 48 events, 24 men's events and 24 women's. Care to know what they are?

Track DisciplineEvents
Sprint100m, 200m, 400m
Middle-distance/Long-distance800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10000m, 3000m steeplechase
Hurdles100m hurdles, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles
Road RunningHalf marathon, marathon
Race Walks20k race walk, 35k race walk
Relays4x100 relay, 4x400 relay, 4x400 relay mixed
Field DisciplineEvents
JumpsHigh jump, pole vault, long jump, triple jump
ThrowsShot put, discus throw, hammer throw, javelin throw
Combined EventsHeptathlon, Decathlon
Cross Country
Mountain Running
Ultra Running
Trail Running

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What are the rules and regulations of track and field in major competitions like the Olympics?

Sprinting Rules

  • Most of the sprinting events from 100m to 5000m conduct qualifying rounds before the finals. Usually heats, semifinals, and then the finals. The top three on the finals scoreboard take home gold, silver, and bronze.
  • Sprints, hurdles, and relay races feature starting blocks, followed by the firing of a pistol to commence the race. If a runner starts before the fire, it's called a 'false start.' This will lead to disqualification.
  • 100m sprints and 110m/100m hurdles comprise starts where racers are all in one line. Whereas, in the 200m, 400m, 400m hurdles, 4x100m relay, and 400m relay categories, they are placed in staggered positions.
  • Running outside the allocated lanes would also lead to disqualification. If an athlete is forced to cross the lane by another one so that there is no material advantage, they will not be disqualified. The same for a person who strays out or crosses the line, and in doing so, they do not get an advantage, there will be no disqualification.
  • The athlete whose torso crosses the vertical finish line plane will be declared the winner.
Relay Rules
  • For any of the relays, baton handover must not happen beyond the 20m changeover box. If yes, then this would amount to disqualification.
  • The baton should not fall or touch the ground in any way.
Middle Distance Rules
  • There are no starting blocks in these races. Also, athletes line up in an upright position. In 800m, the 8 runners will stand in staggered positions before the start. Through the first turn, they have to stay in their respective lanes, but can then break to the inside. If done very early, then can lead to disqualification.
  • 1500m and the steeplechase have group starts, and no fixed lanes are allocated.
  • In steeplechase, if an athlete steps aside during a barrier, they will be disqualified. They can jump above them in any way, but no part of the foot or leg should be below the horizontal plane of the upper bar while they are attempting to clear it.
Long Distance Rules
  • The 10,000m, marathon, race walk, decathlon, and heptathlon are events that directly conduct finals with no qualifying rounds.
  • The starts happen in an upright position and involve no touching of the ground.
  • Usually, these feature mass starts. However given the possibility that there are more than 12 runners in the race, they are divided into staggered groups. The first one will have 65 percent of the athletes that usually appear on a start line.
  • There are no lane assignments. Track athletes can break for positions right after the commencement.
Race Walking Rules
  • The walker must be in contact with the ground continuously. Even the advancing leg should be straight from the instance when it comes in contact with the ground till it goes into the upright position.
  • There are anything between six and nine judges in the event. And they are free to issue warnings upon violations like leg contact or perhaps a bent knee.
  • If participating athletes get warnings from 3 different judges, they get disqualified. Also, if an official medical officer asks them to retire from the race, the competitors must leave.
Jumping Rules
  • High jump- The jump-off must happen from one foot. And given that the athlete makes contact with the crossbar and falls off the supports, it will be counted as a failed attempt. Also, athletes will be given 3 attempts for a particular height. The option to pass a certain height and try for the next is also available. But, if there are 2 failed attempts at a single height, and the athlete skips that to move on to the next, the next should be cleared on the first try.
  • Pole Vault- Participants can use a substance either on their hands or the pole to facilitate a better grip. But, tape on fingers or hands is prohibited, unless there is an open wound. Athletes are also allowed to use their poles, of any material, length, or diameter. If they break, the participants still get another go at it. However, there are three criteria for disqualification. First is when the vaulter makes the crossbar fall by touch. Second is when they move their lower hand above their upper one or their upper hand higher on the pole after leaving the ground. And third, if they steady or replace the bar while conducting the vault.
  • Long Jump- The measurement for the jumps is calculated from the takeoff line to the closest break in the landing area, done by any part of the participant's body. Failed attempts happen on exceeding the takeoff line while jumping, or on taking off from outside either end of the take-off board. Or perhaps touching the ground outside the landing area closer to the take-off line, in comparison to the nearest break in the sand.
  • Triple Jump- There are three stages of a triple jump- a hop, a step, and a jump, all done in the said sequence. Hope and jump have to be made from the same foot used for take-off, while the step involves the other. Failed attempts have identical criteria to the long jump. However, there is one exception, and that is when an athlete makes contact with the ground with their sleeping leg during a jump, it isn't considered a failure.
Decathlon and Heptathlon Rules-
  • The decathlon and heptathlon events are conducted over two consecutive days.
  • In both these events, 3 attempts in the long jump, shot put, discus, and javelin throw are allowed. And a single false start in track events is allowed.
Throwing Rules-
  • Shot, discuss, and hammer throw are all done from within the demarcated throwing circles. While the javelin throw features a runway. Crossing either while a throwing attempt is made will count as a failed attempt.
  • Also, the athletes must not exit and stay in the throwing area until the javelin or the respective implement touches the ground. And for it to be considered a valid throw, they should land within the landing zone.
  • Gloves are only permitted in hammer throw, while any sort of tape is not allowed unless there is an open wound on the hands or the fingers.
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What are the major track and field championships?

Some of the pivotal athletic competitions include-

  • The Athletics World Championships (Once every 2 years)
  • Olympic Games (Once every 4 years)
  • Commonwealth Games (Once every 4 years)
  • World Indoor Championships (Once every 2 years)
  • World Diamond League Meetings (Every year)
  • World Athletics Relays (Biennial)
  • Marathon Majors (Every year)
  • World Athletics Cross Country Championships (Biennial)
  • New York Marathon (Every year)

Who are the greatest track and field stars of all time?

Here are some of the most decorated track and field athletes of all time:

NameCountryEventOlympic medalsPersonal best
Paavo NurmiFinlandMiddle and Long Distance Runner 12 medals- 9G, 3S10000m - 30:06.2h

3000m - 8:20.4h

5000m- 14:28.2h

Carl LewisUnited States

 

100m,200m, Long Jump, 4x100m relay10 medals- 9G, 1SLong Jump- 8.87

100m- 9.86

200m- 19.75

Usain BoltJamaica100m, 200m, 4x100m relay8 medals- 8G100m- 9.58 (WR, AR)

200m- 19.19 (WR, AR)

Jesse OwensUnited States100m, 200m, Long Jump, 4x100m relay4 medals- 4G100m- 10.2h

200m- 20.7h

4x100m relay- 39.8h

Long Jump- 8.13

Allyson FelixUnited States200m, 4x400m relay, 4x100m relay, 400m11 medals- 7G, 3S, 1B200m- 21.69

400m- 49.26

4x100m relay- 40.82

4x400m relay- 31.16.85

Florence Griffith JoynerUnited States100m, 200, 4x100m relay, 4x400m relay5 medals- 3G, 2S100m- 10.49

200m- 21.34

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Jackie Joyner-KerseeUnited StatesHeptathlon, Long Jump6 medals- 3G, 1S, 2BHeptathlon- 1331

Long Jump- 7.49

Bob BeamonUnited StatesLong Jump1 medal- 1GLong Jump- 8.90
Javie SotomayorCubaHigh Jump2 medals- 1G, 1SHigh Jump- 2.45 (WR)
Jan ZeleznyCzechiaJavelin Throw4 medals- 3G, 1SJavelin Throw- 98.48 (WR)
 

Haile Gebrselassie

EthiopiaLong Distance Runner2 medals- 2G10000m- 26:22.75

5000m- 12:39.36

AI OerterUnited StatesDiscus Throw4 medals- 4GDiscus Throw- 69.46
Sergey BubkaUkrainePole Vault1 medal- 1GPole Vault- 6.15