TRACK AND FIELD:

Running events
Spencer T. Lanuza
BSEd 3C MAPEH
Presentor
TRACK AND
FIELD
HISTORY
• Track and Field is probably the oldest
sport or athletic competition in
human history. Running races and
jumping contests have been around
from ancient history. Even as young
kids competing against others by
racing and jumping are natural things
to do. The first Olympics had only one
event and it was a foot race event
called the stadion footrace. The race
was around a 200 yard sprint. There
were officials to determine who won
and starting blocks. The first winner
was a man name Coroebus of Elis.
• Track and field took another big step in
history when the Greeks added the
Pentathlon to the Olympics in 708 BC. In
addition to the stadion footrace they
added four additional events including
javelin throw, discus throw, long jump,
and wrestling. Points from these five
events would be added up to determine
an overall winner. Additional events
have been added over the years. Track
and field has become a huge
international sport and a big part of the
summer Olympics every four years. 
 Track and Field
• Is a sport that consists of a number of events. These
events include athletics such as running, jumping, and
throwing. Most of the events are individual but a few,
like relay events, involve a team. Team competitions
allocate points to events and athletes gain points to
their team's total by finishing high in individual events.
The different events take different skills to be
successful. There are long distance runs that take
endurance, short sprints that take speed, and
throwing events that take technique and strength. To
do well in track and field you will need to combine
physical ability and practice. 
TRACK EVENTS
RUNNING
JUMPING
THROWING
 Short Distance or Sprints
• A sprint is a short running race.
In a track and field competition
there are generally three
different sprint distances:
100m, 200m, and 400m. The
original Olympic event, the
stadion race, was a sprint of
around 180m. A sprint race
starts out with the runners in
starting blocks in their lane. The
official will say "on your marks".
• At this point the racer should be
focused on the track, have their
feet placed in the blocks, fingers
on the ground behind the
starting line, hands slightly
wider than shoulder width,
muscles relaxed. Next the
official will say "Set". At this
point the runner should get
their hips slightly above
shoulder level, feet pushed hard
into the blocks, holding their
breath and ready to race.
• Then there is the bang and the race has started.
The runner should exhale and run out of the
blocks not jumping. The initial part of the race
the runner is accelerating to top speed. Once top
speed is achieved then endurance kicks in as the
runner tries to maintain that speed for the rest of
the sprint. 

• Sprinters should remain relaxed while running

and move their arms in a straight back and forth
motion. They should be focused on their lane and
the track at the start and the finish line for the
last half of the race or so. 
 Middle Distance
• The middle distance races are the 800m, the
1500m, and the 1 mile long runs. These races
require different skills and tactics to win that the
sprints. They rely more on endurance and pacing
than just pure speed. Also, the runners don't
stay in a single lane for the entire race. They
start out in staggered lanes, to make the
distance the same for each runner, but the race
soon becomes open with no lanes and the
runners must to pass around each other to gain
the lead. 
 Long Distance
• There are three main long distance races: the
3000m, the 5000m, and the 10,000m races.
These races are similar to the middle distance
races, but the emphasis is even more on
correct pacing and endurance. 
  
Hurdles

• A hurdles race is one in which obstacles are

placed at intervals along the track that the
runners must jump over on their way the finish
line. Typical hurdle races are the 100m and 400m
for women and 110m and 400m for men. Timing,
footwork, and technique are key in wining
hurdles events. Of course you still need to be fast,
but jumping the hurdles in stride without much
slowing down is how to win in the hurdles. 
 Relays
• Relay races are where teams of runners
compete against each other. There are typically
4 runners and 4 legs to the race. The first runner
starts with the baton and runs the first leg
handing off to the second runner. The hand off
must typically take place within a given area of
the track. The second then hands off to the third
and the third to the fourth. The fourth runner
runs the final, or anchor, leg to the finish line.
Common relay races are the 4x100m and the
4x400m.