Athletic Track

Athletic Track is a sport which combines various athletic contests based on the skills of running, jumping, and throwing. The name is derived from the sport's typical venue: a stadium with an oval running track enclosing a grass field where the throwing and jumping events take place. The running events, which include sprints, middle and long-distance events, and hurdling, are won by the athlete with the fastest time. The jumping and throwing events are won by the athlete who achieves the greatest distance or height. Regular jumping events include long jump, triple jump, high jump and pole vault, while the most common throwing events are shot put, javelin, discus and hammer. There are also "combined events", such as heptathlon and decathlon, in which athletes compete in a number of the above events. Most Athletic Track events are individual sports with a single victor, but a number are relay races. Events are almost exclusively divided by gender, although both the men's and women's competitions are usually held at the same venue. Athletic Track is often categorized under the umbrella sport of athletics, which also includes road running, cross country running, and race walking. At the international level, the two most prestigious international Athletic Track competitions are athletics competition at the Olympic Games and the IAAF World Championships in Athletics, while the International Association of Athletics Federations is the international governing body.