[1] The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events.

The first recorded examples of organized track and field events are the Ancient Olympic include further running competitions, but the introduction of the Ancient Olympic pentathlon marked a step towards track and field as it is recognized today—it comprised a five-event competition of the long jump, javelin throw, discus throw, stadion footrace,[2] and wrestling.

[8] Influenced by a Classics-rich curriculum, competitions in the English public schools were conceived as human equivalents of horse racing, fox hunting and hare coursing.

Meanwhile, the New York Athletic Club in 1876 began holding an annual national competition, the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association held their first Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship in 1921, making it one of the most prestigious competitions for students.

Marking an increasingly inclusive approach to the sport, major track and field competitions for disabled athletes were first introduced at the 1960 Summer Paralympics.

The profile of the sport reached an apogee in the 1980s, with a number of athletes becoming household names, like Carl Lewis, Sergey Bubka, Sebastian Coe, Zola Budd and Florence Griffith Joyner.

Many world records were broken then, and the added political element between competitors of the United States, East Germany, and the Soviet Union, during the Cold War, only served to stoke the sport's popularity.

State-sponsored doping in 1970s and 1980s East Germany, China,[24] the Soviet Union,[25] and early 21st century Russia, as well as prominent individual cases such as those of Olympic gold medallists Ben Johnson and Marion Jones, damaged the public image and marketability of the sport.

The throwing events involve hurling an implement (such as a heavyweight, javelin or discus) from a set point, with athletes being judged on the distance that the object is thrown.

[32] Human physiology dictates that a runner's near-top speed cannot be maintained for more than thirty seconds or so because lactic acid builds up once leg muscles begin to suffer oxygen deprivation.

[42] Physiologically, middle-distance events demand that athletes have good aerobic and anaerobic energy producing systems, and also that they have strong endurance.

[44][45] The prominence of the distances were maintained by Roger Bannister, who in 1954 was the first to run the long-elusive four-minute mile,[46][47] and Jim Ryun's exploits served to popularise interval training.

Beyond the short distances of sprinting events, factors such as an athlete's reactions and top speed becomes less important, while qualities such as pace, tactics and endurance become more so.

[51][53] Long-distance track events gained popularity in the 1920s by the achievements of the "Flying Finns", such as multiple Olympic champion Paavo Nurmi.

[62] The origin of the 400 metres hurdles also lies in Oxford, where around 1860 a competition was held over 440 yards and twelve 1.06 m high wooden barriers were placed along the course.

[66] Small weights (Halteres) were held in each hand during the jump then swung back and dropped near the end to gain extra momentum and distance.

High jumpers typically cleared the bar feet first in the late 19th century, using either the Scissors, Eastern cut-off or Western roll technique.

[83] While earlier versions used wooden, metal or bamboo, modern poles are generally made from artificial materials such as fibreglass or carbon fibre.

[90] In ancient times a heavy circular disc was thrown from a set standing position on a small pedestal, and it was this style that was revived for the 1896 Olympics.

[95] In ancient competitions, athletes would wrap an ankyle (thin leather strip) around the javelin that acted as a sling to facilitate extra distance.

[103] The distances thrown by male athletes became greater from the 1950s onwards as a result of improved equipment using the denser metals, a switch to concrete throwing areas, and more advanced training techniques.

Examples of this configuration include the Millrose Games at Madison Square Garden, and the Sunkist Invitational formerly held in the Los Angeles Sports Arena.

[117] For sprinting events, except the 4 × 400 m relay and the indoor 400 metres, each athlete must run the race within their allocated lane from start to finish.

The following year, all world records in sprint events would only be recognised if fully automatic electronic timing was used (as opposed to the traditional hand-timing stopwatch method).

Cash bonuses are usually offered to athletes if they break significant records, as doing so can generate greater interest and public attendance in track and field competitions.

[137] Practices such as blood doping and the use of anabolic steroids, peptide hormones, stimulants, or diuretics can give athletes a physical competitive advantage in track and field.

To prevent use of performance-enhancing substances, athletes must submit to drug tests that are conducted both in and out of competition by anti-doping officials or accredited medical staff.

According to British journalist Andrew Jennings, a KGB colonel stated that the agency's officers had posed as anti-doping authorities from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to undermine doping tests and that Soviet competitors were "rescued with [these] tremendous efforts".

[149] In the mid-first decade of the 21st century, the BALCO Scandal eventually resulted in the downfall of prominent sprinters such as Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery, among others, through their usage of banned substances.