A thletics Running, jumping and throwing are natural and universal forms of human physical expression. Track and field events are the improved versions of all these. These are among the oldest of all sporting competitions. Athletics consist of track and field events.
In the track events, competitions of races of different distances are conducted. The different track and field events have their roots in ancient human history. History Ancient Olympic Games are the first recorded examples of organised track and field events. In B.C., in Olympia, Greece, only one event was contested which was known as the stadion footrace.
The scope of the games expanded in later years. Further it included running competitions, but the introduction of the Ancient Olympic pentathlon marked a step towards track and field as it is recognised today. There were five events in pentathlon namely—discus throw, long jump, javelin throw, the stadion foot race, and wrestling. Track and field events were also present at the Pan- Hellenic Games in Greece around B.C.
period and spread to Rome in Italy. Track and field events began developing in parts of Northern Europe in the middle ages. The stone put and weight throw competitions popular among Celtic societies in Ireland and Scotland were predecessor to the modern shot put and hammer throw events. Pole vault is the last track and field events which evolved in the eighteenth century.
In the late 19th century, modern track and field competitions were separated from general sporting festivals and were first recorded. These competitions were typically organised by educational institutions, military organisations, and sports clubs. Competitive hurdling first came into being, with the advent of the steeplechase in England around . The first national body for the sport of athletics, The Amateur Athletic Association (AAA) was established in England in .
Under this grouping, track and field became the focus of the annual AAA Championships. The United States also began holding an annual national competition. The USA outdoor Track and Field Championship was held in by the New York Athletic Club. The establishment of the modern Olympic Games