Track & Field

The origins of Track and Field go back to the Olympics of Ancient Greece. Along with team sports, Track and Field constitutes the back bone of high school and college extracurricular sports and fitness programs. There are numerous nonprofit and other commercial organizations that support Track and Field sports and sporting events. There are even organizations that help high school athletes match up with colleges and college programs that can lead to scholarships. The benefits of participation in Track and Field include physical conditioning, development of mental focus, sportsmanship and fellowship. Organization and dedication are required to do well at Track and Field. Participation requires an awareness and adherence to strict codes of personal development and conduct. Track and Field is competitive sport for both boys and girls. Allowing each to excel according to their own abilities[pdf].

Track and Field can be broken down into indoor and outdoor events with three major areas of competition. These three major areas of competition are: Track, Field and Road events.

Track events include: 100 meter sprint, 200 meter sprint, 400 meter sprint. Longer distance running includes the 800 meter and 1500 meter dash. Long distance running is made up of the 5000 meter and 10,000 meter runs. The other Track events are the 100 meter hurdles for women, 110 meter hurdles for men, and 400 meter hurdles for men and women. The team relay 400 meter and 1600 meter events. There is also a steeplechase for men that is 3000 meters in length.

The Field events in Track and Field include: The long jump, high jump, pole vault, triple jump, shot put, discus, javelin[pdf], and hammer throw. These events are less about endurance and more about skill level. Mental focus, coordination and physical ability are all required to excel at these events. Practice, proper technique and dedication are key to master these events at a competitive level.

The longer distance Road events require physical stamina and rigorous training. They include: The marathon 26 miles in length, (which can also trace it's roots back to ancient times), and the 10 kilometer, 20 kilometer and 50 kilometer race walks. Training for these events takes a focus that stretches across the boundaries of time. Long distance running pushes the human body to the limits of endurance. Perhaps more so than other sports, long distance training requires strict adherence to diet and physical conditioning beyond the sport itself, running.