The athletics competition at the 2006 Central American and Caribbean Games took place at the Estadio Pedro de Heredia in Cartagena, Colombia and lasted from July 25 to July 29.

With 21 gold medals, Cuba won nearly half of the events and 45 medals were won by the country's athletes.

Mexico was the next most successful nation, winning eight golds and fourteen medals overall.

The hosts Colombia took third place on the medal tally, having won four golds, but also had the second greatest medal haul with nineteen in total.

Jamaica, the Netherlands Antilles and Panama were the only other nations at the competition to win two golds or more.