Athletics at the Summer Olympics

Athletics has been contested at every Summer Olympics since the birth of the modern Olympic movement at the 1896 Summer Olympics. The athletics program traces its earliest roots to events used in the ancient Greek Olympics. The modern program includes track and field events, road running events, and race walking events. Cross country running was also on the program in earlier editions but it was dropped after the 1924 Summer Olympics.

Summary GamesYearEventsBest Nation1 1896 12 (1)2 1900 23 (2)3 1904 25 (3)4 1908 26 (4)5 1912 30 (5)67 1920 29 (6) 8 1924 27 (7)9 1928 27 (8)10 1932 29 (9)11 1936 29 (10)121314 1948 33 (11)15 1952 33 (12)16 1956 33 (13)17 1960 34 (14)GamesYearEventsBest nation18 1964 36 (15)19 1968 36 (16)20 1972 38 (1)21 1976 37 (1)22 1980 38 (2)23 1984 41 (17)24 1988 42 (18)25 1992 43 (19)26 1996 44 (20)27 2000 46 (21)28 2004 46 (22)29 2008 47 (23)30 2012 47 (24)31 2016 47 (25)32 2020 48 (26)33 2024 48 (27)34 2028 48

Events The events contested have varied widely. From 1900 to 1920, tug of war was considered to be part of the Olympic athletics programme, although the sports of tug of war and athletics are now considered distinct.Past Olympic Sports. Olympics/IOC. Retrieved on 2010-08-30.

Since 2021, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has also listed the medals from the athletics triathlon event at the 1904 Summer Olympics as part of artistic gymnastics under the designation "Individual All-Around, Field Sports Men".Nonetheless, this event is included in the medal table below, as this reflects an original IOC sporting classification. However, some sources, such as Olympedia, include these medals in artistic gymnastics, resulting in the United States being credited with an additional gold, silver, and bronze medal in artistic gymnastics rather than in athletics.

Men's events No new events have been added to the men's athletics programme since the 1956 addition of the short racewalk. The roster of events has not changed since then, with the exception of the omission of the long racewalk in 1976 (the IAAF held a 50 km walk World Championships that year instead and as a result the event was restored in 1980). The long racewalk is the only event currently held for men but not included on the women's programme, with the exception of women taking part in the heptathlon rather than the decathlon and the 100 metres hurdles rather than the 110 metres hurdles. The last women's event added to the roster was the 3000 metres steeplechase in 2008.

A total of 52 different events have been held in the men's competition. The current list comprises 23 events. Many of the discontinued events were similar to modern ones but at different lengths, especially in the steeplechasing, hurdling, and racewalking disciplines. Team racing events have been eliminated after appearing in six early editions of the Games. The athletic triathlon (an unusual event, held only once and featuring gymnasts competing in the long jump, shot put, and 100 metre dash) and pentathlon multi-discipline events were phased out in favor of the decathlon, and the medley relay replaced with even-leg relays. Standing jump competitions are no longer held, nor are the various modified throwing events which were experimented with in 1908 and 1912. Cross country running was on the program from 1912 to 1924 and is the most prominent form of athletics not to feature at the Olympics.

+ Current program Event 96 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 28 Years 100 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 31 200 metres () – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 30 400 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 31 800 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 31 1500 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 31 5000 metres () – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27 10,000 metres () – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27 Marathon () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 31 Half marathon race walk () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X 1 110 metres hurdles () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 31 400 metres hurdles () – X X X – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 29 3000 metres steeplechase () – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 26 4 × 100 metres relay () – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27 4 × 400 metres relay () – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27 High jump () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 31 Pole vault () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 31 Long jump () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 31 Triple jump () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 31 Shot put () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 31 Discus throw () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 31 Hammer throw () – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 30 Javelin throw () – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 28 Decathlon () – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 27 Total 12 15 15 16 20 22 22 22 22 22 22 22 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23

Past events that occurred only once

Only at the 1900 Summer Olympics 2500 metres steeplechase 4000 metres steeplechase 5000 metres team race

Only at the 1904 Summer Olympics 2590 metres steeplechase 4-mile team race All-around Triathlon

Only at the 1908 Summer Olympics 3200 metres steeplechase Medley relay 3-mile team race 5 miles 3500 metres race walk 10 miles race walk Discus throw, Greek style Javelin throw, freestyle

Only at the 1912 Summer Olympics Shot put, two hands Discus throw, two hands Javelin throw, two hands

Only at the 1920 Summer Olympics 3000 metres race walk

Past events that occurred twice to five times

60 metres: 1900, 1904 200 metres hurdles: 1900, 1904 3000 metres team race: 1912, 1920, 1924 10 kilometres race walk: 1912, 1920, 1924, 1948, 1952 Pentathlon: 1912, 1920, 1924 Standing long jump: 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912 Standing triple jump: 1900, 1904 Standing high jump: 1900, 1904, 1908, 1912 56 pound weight throw: 1904, 1920 Cross country Individual: 1912, 1920, 1924 Team: 1912, 1920, 1924

+ Past events that occurred twenty or more times Event 96 00 04 08 12 20 24 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 28 Years 20 kilometres race walk () – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X – 18 50 kilometres race walk () – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X – X X X X X X X X X X X - - 20

Women's events Women's competition in athletics began at the 1928 Summer Olympics.

+ Current program Event 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 28 Games 100 metres () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24 200 metres () – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 21 400 metres () – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 16 800 metres () X – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 19 1500 metres () – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 15 5000 metres () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X 9 10,000 metres () – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X 11 Marathon () – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X 12 Half marathon race walk () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X 1 100 metres hurdles () – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 15 400 metres hurdles () – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X 12 3000 metres steeplechase () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X 6 4 × 100 metres relay () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24 4 × 400 metres relay () – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 15 High jump () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24 Pole vault () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X 8 Long jump () – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 21 Triple jump () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X 9 Shot put () – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 21 Discus throw () X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 24 Hammer throw () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X 8 Javelin throw () – X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 23 Heptathlon () – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X X X X X X 12

+ Past events Event 28 32 36 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00 04 08 12 16 20 24 28 Games 80 metres hurdles () – X X X X X X X X – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – 8 Pentathlon () – – – – – – – X X X X X – – – – – – – – – – – – 5 3000 metres () – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X – – – – – – – – – 3 10 kilometres race walk () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X – – – – – – – – 220 kilometres race walk () – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – X X X X X X X – 7 Total 5 6 6 9 9 9 10 12 12 14 14 14 17 18 19 20 22 22 23 23 23 23 23 23

Mixed events The mixed event, a 4 × 400 metres relay, first made an appearance at the 2020 Summer Olympics. The event includes teams of four athletes, two men and two women who run in the order man–woman–man–woman (before 2022, each team was allowed to decide the running order individually). Paris 2024 featured another mixed team event: the Marathon Race Walking Mixed Relay, which includes teams of two athletes, one male and one female. Another mixed event called 4 × 100 metres relay was added to the Athletics programme by IOC in 2025 and is scheduled to debut at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles.

+ Current program Event 20 24 28 Games 4 × 400 metres relay () X X X 3Marathon race walk mixed relay () – X – 14 × 100 metres relay – – X 1 Total 1 2 2

Nations Every nation that has competed at the Olympics has entered the athletics competition. The numbers below represent how many athletes each nation sent that year, starting with 1896.

NOTE: This table is a work in progress. The empty boxes in the 2016, 2020, and 2024 columns do not necessarily mean that the country did not send athletes that year.

No. of nations 10 15 10 20 27 25 40 40 34 43 53 57 59 72 80 92 104 79 70 124 148 156 190 193 196 200 201 201 196 200

Medal table Updated after the 2024 Summer Olympics, considering stripped medals and reallocated medals as of June 2026.

Sources:

Athletics at the Summer Olympics

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