Commonwealth Games

Events > Commonwealth Games > Sport > Athletics / Track and Field

Track and Field (Athletics)

Athletics is one of the core Commonwealth Games sports. It is also one of three sports that has been on every Games program. The others are Boxing and Swimming. Track and Field events can generally be divided into three categories – running, jumping and throwing. There is also a combined multiple event for men (decathlon) and women (heptathlon).

Trivia

• Australia's Decima Norman’s winning performances in Athletics at the 1938 Games - 1st in all events in which she competed, winning 5 Gold medals (100 yards, 220 yards, Broad Jump, 440 yards Medley Relay; 660 yards Medley Relay.

• Englishman Jack Holden won the 1950 marathon in Auckland, despite being bitten by a dog.

• 1954 Games in Vancouver was host to a special mile race. The ‘Miracle Mile’, as it became dubbed, saw both the gold medallist, Roger Bannister of England, and silver medallist, John Landy of Australia, run sub-four minute races in an event that was televised live across the globe for the first time. Here is an excerpt from "Australia’s Complete History at the Commonwealth Games" by J. Blanch & P. Jenes, 1982: "The one mile, on the last day, August 7, was run in stifling 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.7 degrees Celsius) heat. Landy ran the first lap in 58.2 seconds, with Bannister fifth in 58.9 seconds. At the half-way mark, Landy was keeping up the pace, running 1-58.2 to lead by seven yards (6.40m) from Bannister. At the bell, Landy had run 2-58.4 and Bannister had closed the gap to two yards (1.83m). When Landy led into the final straight, he glanced to his left while Bannister sprinted by to his right to win in 3-58.8. Landy’s time, in finishing second, was 3-59.6."

• New Zealander Yvette Williams became a Games legend when she won gold in the discus, shot put and long jump at the 1954 Vancouver games.

• Australian Raelene Boyle won the sprints double (100m and 200m) in 1970 and 1974. She was the last to win the female sprints double, a feat that had occurred at each of the nine Games since 1934. No female has won the double since.

• Winner of the 2010 Women's Pole Vault competition was Australian Alana Boyd, who became the only child of two Games champions to win her own gold medal. Her father Ray also won the Pole Vault, in 1982, and her mother Denise won the 200m in 1978.

Related Pages

• for information about the sport of athletics, go here.
• See also information about athletics at the Olympic Games.
• See the list of Commonwealth Games sports