Sports Direct Running FAQ's

Athletics FAQs

TRACK EVENTS

Which Athletics Events Take Place on the Track?

Track athletics includes all of the running events at an athletics championship. From short sprint distances to middle and long distance running.

The track events are:

  • 100m
  • 200m
  • 400m
  • 800m
  • 1,500m
  • 5,000m
  • 10,000m
  • 110m Hurdles
  • 100m Hurdle
  • 400m Hurdles
  • 3,000m Steeplechase
  • 4 x 100m Relay
  • 4 x 400m Relay
  • Marathon
  • 20km Walk
  • 50km Walk
  • Mixed:
  • Decathlon (Men) - 100 metres, long jump, shot putt, high jump, 400m, 110 metres hurdles, discus throw, pole vault, javelin throw, 1500 metres
  • Heptathlon (Women) - 100m hurdle, high jump, shot put, 200m, long jump, javelin throw, 800 metres
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    WHAT IS THE DISTANCE OF AN ATHLETICS TRACK?

    A standard athletics track is 400m in an oval shape, with a 100m straight dash on one side to accommodate 100m events. There tends to be nine lanes but often only eight are used at any one time.

    WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF TRACK RUNNING SHOES?

    Track running shoes are designed specifically for running around an athletics track, as opposed to road running and trail running shoes. The main benefit of track running shoes is to offer enhanced grip across the track surface, ensuring the athlete stays on their feet in all conditions. This is not just important for safety, good grip on the track is essential for improving speed. Click to shop our track running shoes and spikes for men here and for women here
    Sports Direct Running FAQ's

    WHICH RUNNING SHOES DO THE BEST ATHLETES WEAR?

    Sports Direct Running FAQ's

    FIELD EVENTS

    What are Field Events in Athletics?

    There are two types of field athletics - jumping and throwing

    The jumping events are:

  • High jump
  • Pole valut
  • Long jump
  • Triple jump

    • The throwing events are:

  • Shot put
  • Discus throw
  • Hammer throw
  • Javelin throw

    • WHO IS THE HIGHEST PAID ATHLETE?

    The fastest man alive, Usain Bolt, is the richest track and field athlete with a net worth of over $30million.

    WHICH ATHLETE HAS WON THE MOST MEDALS?

    Finnish long-distance runner Paayo Nurmi is the record-holder for most medals at the summer games by a track and field athlete, with nine gold and three silver in the 1920's. American Carl Lewis is second with nine gold and one silver across sprint events and the long jump, while Usain Bolt completes the top three with his eight gold medals - a feat equalled by American high, long and triple jumper, Ray Ewry, back in the early 1900's. Coming in fifth overall, and as the most decorated female track and field athlete of all time, is Allyson Felix of the USA, with six gold and three silver across sprinting events.

    DO ATHLETES GET PAID FOR COMPETITIONS?

    Athletes don't earn a penny in prize money for appearing in athletics' most famous championships! The majority of athletes' income comes through sponsorships, endorsements and other exterior revenue streams.

    ATHLETICS GLOSSARY

    ANCHOR LEG

    The last section of a relay race where the final runner in the tea completes the race.

    BATON

    A small stick or tube used during relay races. The baton is passed between each runner in a team to continue the run. Most relay races involve four runners per team, with the baton passed three times

    DECATHLON

    A male athletics event that features 10 different events across both track and field. Each event is worth points to the overall leaderboard. often seen as the ultimate test of an all-round sportsman.

    DISCUS

    A heavy disc thrown during the field events, discus throwing. The further the athlete can throw the discus in a specialised action, the higher up the leaderboard they will finish.

    FOSBURY FLOPO

    A technique where a high jumper will arch their back to successfully clear the bar. The term is name after Dick Fosbury, an American high jumper who perfected and popularised the technique back in the 1960's.

    HEATS

    The term is used to denote the races that take place before the fianl at an athletics tournament. A rage pool of runners will qualify for the championships and the heats are used to determine who goes through to the final. Every athlete must go through the heats, regardless of their stature and history.

    HURDLES

    A serues of frames set up along a running track for the athletes to leap over during a race. A 110m hurdle race, for example, involves the athletes jumping over 10 hurdles standing at just over one metre tall each.

    LANE

    A running track is split up into parallel lines spaced equally far apart to form a lane. This is where each individual athlete must run during the race, except for some longer distances where the lanes are not important. You'll often hear about an athlete trying to get the inside lane or the inside track as the track is slightly shorter the closer you get to the centre of the ring.

    LEG

    A leg is the section of a relay race which each single runner completes. If a race features teams of four, there are four legs to the race.

    PHOTO FINISH

    When two runners cross the finish line so closely that it is hard to separate them with the naked eye, a photo will be required to determine the victor. When this occurs, you will hear the race called a photo finish.

    RELAY

    A race where a team of runners combine to each cover a section of the total distance. The runners pass a baton between them at the end of each runner's section, and the final runner has the job of carrying the baton over the finish line to complete the race.

    STARTING BLOCKS

    Small blocks fitted to the track for runners to place their feet on at the beginning of a sprint race. The runner is able to use the blocks to push off at the start and gain momentum as quickly as possible.

    ATLETIEK

    An all-encompassing term to cover all track and field events

    THE BELL

    In a track running race that invovles more than one lap, a bell will sound as the runner in front begins the final lap. For example, 1,500m, 5,000m and 10,000m

    DROP FINISH

    This occurs right at the end of a running race when a runner bends their body to try and poke their head over the line slightly faster. This can sometimes make all the difference when the race is extremely close.

    FALSE START

    A running race may have to be restarted after a 'false start', usually caused by one of the athletes moving slightly before the starting gun is fired.

    FOUL

    Often seen in field events, a foul is an illegal act by an athlete that is prohibited in the rules of the event. An example of this would be a jumper leaping from beyond the line or a thrower stepping beyond the line while throwing.

    HEPTAHLON

    A female mixed event where the competitors take part in seven different events, scoring points from each sport to add to the overall leaderboard which decides the medal places. Jessica Ennis-Hill and Katarina Johnson Thompson are both well-known British heptathletes.

    JAVELIN

    A long, thin, spear-like stick that is used for the event of javelin throwing. Athletes must hurl the javelin as far as they can and have it land tip first for it to be a legal throw. The further they can throw the javelin, the better they will do in the leaderboard.

    LAP

    One time around the track. Each time a runner completes a circuit of the track, that is called a lap. The word can also be used as a verb, for if a runner takes over another runner after already having completed one more lap than the unfortunate runner lagging behind.

    OBSTRUCTION

    This is when a runner gets in the way of another by running across them or jostling them. An obstruction can lead to disqualification

    POLE VAULT

    A field athletics event where the athlete uses a long pole for assistance in getting over a bar at a certain height. The competitor runs up to the bar and uses the bendy pole to propel themselves over the bar and onto the safety of a crash mat

    SPRINT

    An overarching term for any running race 400m long or below. A sprint race is so named because athletes must simply run as fast as they possibly can over a short distance.

    TRIPLE JUMP

    A jumping even that differs from the long jump as the athlete must do a hop a skip and then a jump, hence the name. The competitor hurls themselves as far foward as possible and lands in the sand pit to achieve their score.