BACOLOD CITY COLLEGE

PE 3 – INDIVIDUAL/ DUAL SPORTS

FIRST SEMESTER 2024 - 2025
TRACK AND FIELD
History/ Background:
Track and field is a sport which includes athletic contests established on the skills of running, jumping, and
throwing. Started during the primitive era.

Ancient History
• Track and field have been around since the start of the Olympics in Ancient Greece in 776 B.C, when
Coroebus of Elis, a cook from the nearby city of Elis, won the stadium race, a foot race 600 feet long.
• It was created alongside religious events and celebrations for the Greek gods where men (no women
were allowed) could show off their athletic abilities.
• From there it spread to the Romans who continued the games until the Christian Emperor Theodosius I
banned them in 393 A.D. because of their ties to pagan beliefs.

Modern Age
• The first Olympic track and field competition in modern times was at the 1896 Athens Olympics, which
was the resurrection of the ancient Olympics.
• Up until the early 1920’s, track and field were only a male sport.
• Women became part of the athletics only after women’s sport movement organized Women’s World
Games back in 1921.

TIMELINE/ IMPORTANT DATES

• 1912 – International Amateur Athletic Federation or IAAF was founded and as such it became the
international governing body for track and field.
• 1921 – The first NCAA national championships were held for men. Women became part of the athletics
only after women’s sport movement organized Women’s World Games.
• 1928 – The participation of women in the Olympics starting this year.
• 1982 – The International Amateur Athletic Federation officially abandoned the notion of amateurism
and it became the organization.

Discipline Events
Sprints 100m, 200m, 400m
Middle/Long 800m, 1500m, 5000m, 10000m, 3000m steeplechase
Hurdles 100m hurdles, 110m hurdles, 400m hurdles
Jumps High jump, pole vault, long jump, triple jump
Throws Shot put, discus throw, hammer throw, javelin throw
Combined Events Heptathlon, decathlon
Relays 4x100 relay, 4x200 relay, 4x400 relay, and 4x1x2x3x4 relay

SPRINTS (100m, 200m, 400m)

Often the most eye-catching events at the Olympics, the sprints involve a dash to the finish over distances of
100m, 200m and 400m. Eight runners, all in different lanes, sprint to the finish line once the starting gun is
sounded.

HURDLES (110m, 400m)

A format similar to the sprints over similar distances, except the runners have to jump over hurdles before they
get to the finish line.
• In the 110m, the hurdles are 107cm in height and can be knocked down even with the slightest touch.
• The first hurdle is placed 13.72m from the starting line while nine other hurdles are placed at a distance
of 9.14m each, with participants having to run 14.02m from the last hurdle to the finish.
• In the 400m, the hurdles are 91.4cm high (men) and 76.2cm (women) while the runners have to clear 10
evenly-spaced hurdles before the finish line.

RELAYS
• Another category in the list of most popular events are the relay races - which consist of four runners
from each country running equal distances with a baton in hand.
BACOLOD CITY COLLEGE
PE 3 – INDIVIDUAL/ DUAL SPORTS
FIRST SEMESTER 2024 - 2025
MIDDLE AND LONG DISTANCES (800M, 1500M, 5000M, 10000M, 3000M STEEPLECHASE)
The middle- and long-distance runners are athletes who are built similar to sprinters but have reserves of
energy to unleash during the home stretch.

• In the 800m, runners complete two laps of a 400m track. They have to follow their respective lanes
until the first bend after which they can compete for the inside line, which is the shortest route to the
finish line.
• Runners make a standing start bunched together in the 1500m, and can immediately go for the inside
line while completing three and three-quarters of a 400m track.
• The 5000m participants start bunched up together and can compete for the inside line immediately as
they complete 12-and-a-half laps of the 400m track.
• In the 10000m, runners can dive for the inside line from a bunched-up start and have to complete 25
laps of the 400m track.
• The 3000m steeplechase is the standout event in this category. The participants start together and can
go for the inside line as soon as the starting gun sounds and have to jump over 28 fixed hurdles and
seven water hurdles while completing laps around the 400m track.
JUMPS (HIGH JUMP, LONG JUMP, TRIPLE JUMP, POLE VAULT)
From the track and road races, we now go to the field events; starting with the four jumps.

• The high jump involves participants taking a run-up and jumping as high as they can over a four-metre-
long bar. Each competitor has three attempts per height that they choose to set and can also choose
to move to a greater height without clearing the current one. Three consecutive failures to clear the bar
will result in elimination.
• In the pole vault, competitors sprint along a runway with a pole in hand and jam it down to launch
themselves with the aim to clear a 4.5m long bar at the height they choose to set.
• In the long jump, participants sprint along a runway and launch themselves from a wooden board
onto a sandpit, with the distance measured from the edge of the board to the first mark made by the
athlete on the pit. If an athlete launches themself from beyond the board, a foul is called and the jump
is not counted. In the qualifying rounds and final, each jumper has three attempts with the best
attempt counted. The top eight jumpers in the final are given three further attempts to improve their
efforts.
• The triple jump involves three steps - the hop, step and jump. Participants sprint on a runway and
launch themselves from the edge of a wooden board. They first land on their take-off foot (hop), then
land their opposite foot (step) and finally jump into a sandpit, with the distance measured from the
edge of the board to the first mark in the pit.
THROWS (JAVELIN, DISCUS, HAMMER, SHOT PUT)
If the jumps test an athlete’s body flexibility, throws are the measure of their body strength, which is why most
throwers have a bulky frame. All throwing events are pretty simple - competitors aim to throw their respective
devices as far as possible within a range.
• In the javelin throw, participants have to hold a metal-tipped javelin by the corded grip and take a
run-up before throwing it from behind the foul line (or scratch line) and must do so over the upper
part of their throwing arm, negating an underhand throw. The javelin must land tip first in a
marked 29-degree sector. Men must choose a javelin weighing not less than 800g and measuring
2.6-2.7m in length while it is 600g and 2.2-2.3m respectively for the women. Competitors have six
attempts to throw, and the farthest throw counts.
• The discus throw is an event where participants take one-and-a-half spins before releasing a
metal discus which weighs 2kg and has a diameter of 22cm (men) and 1kg and 18cm (women).
Competitors must throw from within a 2.5m diameter circle and the discus has to land inside a
marked sector. They can throw six times during competition, and the farthest throw counts.
• The hammer throw involves participants throwing a metal ball that’s attached to a grip through a
steel wire. Athletes make three or four spins inside a 2.135m diameter circle before throwing the
ball inside a 35-degree marked sector. Competitors can have six attempts, and the best throw
counts. The ball must weigh 7.26kg for men and 4kg for women. In the shot put, participants have
to ‘put’ - not throw - a metal ball (same specifications as hammer throw, including participant
BACOLOD CITY COLLEGE
PE 3 – INDIVIDUAL/ DUAL SPORTS
FIRST SEMESTER 2024 - 2025
circle) as far as possible. The shot must not drop below the line of the athlete’s shoulders during any
of the six attempts and should land inside a marked 35-degree sector.
COMBINED EVENTS (HEPTATHLON, DECATHLON)
The two combined events - which consist of both track and field - are the heptathlon and decathlon. The
heptathlon is contested by only women, while only men contest the decathlon.
• The heptathlon is a seven-event contest, which awards points for each event to the participants and
the one with the most points wins. The competitors contest the 100m hurdles, high jump, shot put and
200m on day 1 and compete in the long jump, javelin throw and 800m on day 2.
• The decathlon by contrast is a 10-event contest. On day 1, the men compete in the 100m, long jump,
shot put, high jump and 400m while on day 2, the events are 110m hurdles, discus throw, pole vault,
javelin throw and 1500m.
EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES
• RELAY BATON – It weighs approximately ½ pound and is anywhere from 14-32 inches in length. The
athlete uses a baton that is sized to the length of their arm from the shoulder to the tip of the fingers.
• STARTING BLOCK – Used to provide a solid base for sprinters at the start of short-distance races. It
helps athletes launch with maximum power.
• TRACK SPIKES – Specialized shoes with metal spikes on the soles, providing grip and reducing slipping
during sprints, middle- or long-distance races.
• HIGH JUMP BAR – A horizontal bar that athletes attempt to leap over in the high jump event. The bar is
raised incrementally as athletes’ clear previous heights.
• POLE VAULT POLE – A long, flexible pole used by athletes to vault over a high bar in pole vault events.
• LONG JUMP/TRIPLE JUMP PIT- A sand-filled area used for landing in long and triple jump events,
ensuring a safe and measurable landing spot.
• MEASURING TAPE – Used to measure the distance of jumps in events like the long jump and triple
jump.
• SHOT PUT – A heavy metal ball that athletes "put" (throw) from their shoulder, aiming for maximum
distance.
• DISCUS – A heavy, flat disc that athletes throw for distance. It requires proper technique for a
successful throw.
• JAVELIN – A long, spear-like object that athletes throw for distance. Proper grip and technique are
essential for optimal distance and safety.
• HAMMER – A heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle that athletes throw for distance. The
hammer is spun in a circular motion before being released.
• THROWING CAGE – A safety cage used around the throwing area for discus, hammer, and sometimes
shot put. It prevents the equipment from flying into the crowd or other athletes.

A standard running track has eight lanes. Each land is 1.22m wide. All tracks are run around in an anti-clockwise
direction. The 400m oval track forms the basis of a multi‑-sports arena and its dimensions are dependent on the
requirements of other sports.