A total of 47 events were contested – 24 by men and 23 by women – matching the Olympic athletics programme.

[5] One of the primary attractions of the competition was Chinese Olympic champion hurdler Liu Xiang – the stadium filled with around 70,000 spectators on the day he defended his title and he won gold in a Games record time.

Preeja Sreedharan of India broke two national records, almost completing a 5000 and 10,000 metres double, but was beaten by Mimi Belete in the former event.

Femi Ogunode – a Nigerian-born athlete representing Qatar – won golds in both the 200 m and 400 m at the age of nineteen.

[7] Little-known Lao Yi won the men's 100 m after the favourites (Masashi Eriguchi and Samuel Francis) were both eliminated in the semi-finals.