Athletics traces its roots back to both prehistoric competitions and, most famously, the Olympics of Ancient Greece, making it one of mankind's oldest sporting events.
An umbrella term for a collection of competitions rooted in the most fundamental of human activities like running, jumping, walking, and throwing; athletics shows off the incredible athletic ability of the human form. The highest profile of the sport’s competitions are running events like sprints and hurdling; jumping events like pole vault, high jump, and long jump; and throwing events like javelin, shotput, and discus.
While the modern Olympic games shine a spotlight on the sport every four years, athletics events take place all over the world, running the gamut from local school meets to high profile international events like the biennial World Championships and the WANDA Diamond League.
