Athletics events at the 1986 South American Games were held at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile.

[1] A total of 40 events were contested, 23 by men and 17 by women.

Medal winners were published in a book by written Argentinian journalist Ernesto Rodríguez III with support of the Argentine Olympic Committee (Spanish: Comité Olímpico Argentino) under the auspices of the Ministry of Education (Spanish: Ministerio de Educación de la Nación) in collaboration with the Office of Sports (Spanish: Secretaría de Deporte de la Nación).

[2] Eduardo Biscayart supplied the list of winners and their results.

[3] *   Host nation (Chile)