History of Olympic Athletics
Athletics was at the very heart of the spirit of the Olympic games, and is one of the most popular sports, comprising track and field events.
The running events include foot races of various distances, from 100 meters to the Marathon, which is 42 kilometers (about 26.2 miles). The Marathon race is legendary. The first Marathon of the modern Olympics was a 40 kilometer (24.8-mile) race that was run as the finale to the 1896 Olympic Games. The current official Marathon distance of 26.2 miles was set during the 1908 Olympic Games in London, England. The distance of 26 miles from Windsor Castle to the stadium was established, but then an additional 385 yards was added to the course so the finish line could be at the royal box in the stadium. This new distance of 26.2 miles was officially established by the Olympic Games in 1924.
The field events of the Athletics competition include long-jump, triple-jump, pole vault, discus throwing, shot put and high jump.
The first Women’s Athletics events — the 100, 800, 4×100 meter relay, high jump and discus — were included in the Olympic program at the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris, France.
