International events

• Asian Championships
  1981 Asian Championships in Athletics
  -Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-External links:*...
  
  
• Central American and Caribbean Championships
  1981 Central American and Caribbean Championships in Athletics
  The 1981 Central American Championships in Athletics were held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics* - GBR Athletics...
  
  
• European Indoor Championships
  1981 European Indoor Championships in Athletics
  The 12th European Athletics Indoor Championships were held in Grenoble, a city in France, in 1981. It was the second time the championships were held in Grenoble.-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:* at GBRathletics.com* at GBRathletics.com...
  
  
• South American Championships
  1981 South American Championships in Athletics
  -Men's events:-Women's events:A = affected by altitude-Medal table:-External links:* - GBR Athletics* - GBR Athletics...
  
  
• World Cross Country Championships
  1981 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
  The 9th IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held on March 28, 1981 in Madrid, Spain. There were a total number of 457 participating athletes from 39 countries.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
  
  

100 metres

100 metres

The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...

200 metres

200 metres

A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...

400 metres

400 metres

The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...

800 metres

800 metres

The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...

1,500 metres

1500 metres

The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...

Mile

3,000 metres

3000 metres

The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...

5,000 metres

5000 metres

The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...

10,000 metres

10000 metres

The 10,000 metres or 10K is a common long distance running event. As "10,000 metres" it is a track event, and appears in athletics events such as the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics; as "10K" it is a roadrace or cross country running event...

Half Marathon

Half marathon

A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...

110m Hurdles

Hurdling

Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...

400m Hurdles

Hurdling

Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...

3,000m Steeplechase

Steeplechase (athletics)

The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...

High Jump

High jump

The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....

Long Jump

Long jump

The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...

Triple Jump

Triple jump

The triple jump is a track and field sport, similar to the long jump, but involving a “hop, bound and jump” routine, whereby the competitor runs down the track and performs a hop, a bound and then a jump into the sand pit.The triple jump has its origins in the Ancient Olympics and has been a...

Discus

Discus throw

The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...

Hammer

Hammer throw

The modern or Olympic hammer throw is an athletic throwing event where the object is to throw a heavy metal ball attached to a wire and handle. The name "hammer throw" is derived from older competitions where an actual sledge hammer was thrown...

Shot Put

Shot put

The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....

Pole Vault

Pole vault

Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...

Javelin (old design)

Javelin throw

The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...

Decathlon

Decathlon

The decathlon is a combined event in athletics consisting of ten track and field events. The word decathlon is of Greek origin . Events are held over two consecutive days and the winners are determined by the combined performance in all. Performance is judged on a points system in each event, not...

100 metres

100 metres

The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...

200 metres

200 metres

A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...

400 metres

400 metres

The 400 metres, or 400 metre dash, is a common sprinting event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 . On a standard outdoor running track, it is exactly one lap around the track. Runners start in staggered positions and...

800 metres

800 metres

The 800 meter race is a common track running event. It is the shortest common middle distance track event. The 800 meter is run over two laps of the track and has always been an Olympic event. During indoor track season the event is usually run on a 200 meter track, therefore requiring four laps...

1,500 metres

1500 metres

The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...

Mile

3,000 metres

3000 metres

The 3000 metres is a popular amateur middle distance track event where 7.5 laps are completed around a 400 metre track. This event is generally classified as middle distance, but it could be classed as a long distance event in many high schools, since they do not promote races such as the 5000 and...

5,000 metres

5000 metres

The 5000 metres is a popular running distance also known as 5 km or 5K in American English. It is one of the track events in the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics. "5000 metres" refers to racing on a track and "5K" usually refers to a roadrace or cross country event...

10,000 metres

10000 metres

The 10,000 metres or 10K is a common long distance running event. As "10,000 metres" it is a track event, and appears in athletics events such as the Olympic Games and the World Championships in Athletics; as "10K" it is a roadrace or cross country running event...

100m Hurdles

Hurdling

Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...

400m Hurdles

Hurdling

Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...

High Jump

High jump

The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....

Long Jump

Long jump

The long jump is a track and field event in which athletes combine speed, strength, and agility in an attempt to leap as far as possible from a take off point...

Discus

Discus throw

The discus throw is an event in track and field athletics competition, in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than his or her competitors. It is an ancient sport, as evidenced by the 5th century BC Myron statue, Discobolus...

Shot Put

Shot put

The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" a heavy metal ball—the shot—as far as possible. It is common to use the term "shot put" to refer to both the shot itself and to the putting action....

Javelin (old design)

Javelin throw

The javelin throw is a track and field athletics throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear approximately 2.5 metres in length. Javelin is an event of both the men's decathlon and the women's heptathlon...

Heptathlon

Heptathlon

A heptathlon is a track and field athletics combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek hepta and athlon . A competitor in a heptathlon is referred to as a heptathlete.-Women's Heptathlon:...

January

• January 8 — Mesías Zapata
  Mesías Zapata
  Magno Mesías Zapata is a male race walker from Ecuador. He competed for his native country at the 2007 Pan American Games. He won the bronze medal at the Pan American Race Walking Cup in 2009 and also walked at the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, where he was 30th over 50 km...
  
  , Ecuadorian race walker
• January 14 — Hyleas Fountain
  Hyleas Fountain
  Hyleas Fountain is an American heptathlete.-Early years:Fountain attended Central Dauphin East High School in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania where she was under the coaching of Al Moten, and continued her career at the University of Georgia under coach Wayne Norton...
  
  , American heptathlete
• January 18 — Naoyuki Daigo
  Naoyuki Daigo
  is a male high jumper from Japan. His personal best jump is 2.33 metres, achieved in July 2006 in Kobe.-Achievements:-References:...
  
  , Japanese high jumper
• January 24 — Jong Yong-Ok
  Jong Yong-Ok
  Jong Yong-Ok is a North Korean long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon.She finished 20th at the 2000 Olympic Games, 21st at the 2004 Olympic Games, 14th at the 2005 World Championships and 36th at the 2008 Olympic Games...
  
  , North Korean long-distance runner
• January 27 — Fabrizio Schembri
  Fabrizio Schembri
  Fabrizio Schembri is an Italian athlete competing in the triple jump and occasionally in the long jump. He was born in Saronno.-External links:...
  
  , Italian triple jumper
• January 29 — Rose Richmond
  Rose Richmond
  Rose Marie Richmond is a female long jumper from the United States. Her personal best jump is 6.84 metres, achieved in June 2006 in Indianapolis....
  
  , American long jumper

February

• February 12 — Amarilys Alméstica
  Amarilys Alméstica
  Amarilys Alméstica Rivera is a female hammer thrower from Puerto Rico. She set her personal best throw on July 3, 2006 at a meet in Ottawa, Canada.-Achievements:-References:...
  
  , Puerto Rican hammer thrower
• February 13 — Rosibel García
  Rosibel García
  Rosibel García Mena is a Colombian track and field athlete who specialises in middle-distance track events. She has represented her country at the Summer Olympics and has also competed at the World Championships in Athletics.She is the Colombian record holder for the 800 metres and 1500 metres...
  
  , Colombian middle-distance runner
• February 15 — Rita Jeptoo
  Rita Jeptoo
  Rita Jeptoo Sitienei is a Kenyan marathon runner. She won the 2006 Boston Marathon, setting her personal best of 2:23:38 hours. She has also won marathons in Stockholm and Milan, as well as having represented Kenya in the event at the 2007 World Championships in Athletics...
  
  , Kenyan marathon runner
• February 16 — Jessé de Lima
  Jessé de Lima
  Jessé Farias de Lima is a Brazilian high jumper. His personal best jump is 2.32 metres, achieved in September 2008 in Lausanne. This is the current Brazilian record.-Achievements:-References:...
  
  , Brazilian high jumper
• February 17 — Shi Na
  Shi Na
  Shi Na is a female Chinese athletics race walker. She represented her country at the 20 km race walk event at the 2008 Summer Olympics. She was born in Xintai, Shandong.-Achievements:-References:...
  
  , Chinese race walker
• February 19 — Shellene Williams
  Shellene Williams
  Shellene Williams is a retired female track and field sprinter from Jamaica. She specialized in the 200 metres and the 400 metres. Her personal best time in the women's 200 metres was 23.50 seconds, achieved on May 1, 2004 in Iowa City, Iowa...
  
  , Jamaican sprinter
• February 25 — Marek Plawgo
  Marek Plawgo
  Marek Plawgo is a Polish athlete. He mainly competes in the 400 meters hurdles, but he also starts in the 400 meters and the 4x400 meters relay....
  
  , Polish athlete

March

• March 11 — Yelena Konevtseva
  Yelena Konevtseva
  Yelena Nikolayevna Konevtseva is a female hammer thrower from Russia. Her personal best is 76.21 metres, achieved in May 2007 in Sochi.She finished tenth at the 2000 World Junior Championships and fifth at the 2007 World Championships...
  
  , Russian hammer thrower
• March 13 — Stefan Wenk
  Stefan Wenk
  Stefan Wenk is a male javelin thrower from Germany. His personal best throw is 83.94 metres, achieved in June 2006 at Bislett stadion.-Achievements:-References:...
  
  , German javelin thrower
• March 22 — Aliaksandr Parkhomenka
  Aliaksandr Parkhomenka
  -Achievements:-References:...
  
  , Belarusian decathlete
• March 28 — Yuniel Hernández
  Yuniel Hernández
  Yuniel Hernández Solar is a Cuban hurdler.His personal best time is 13.26 seconds, achieved in July 2001 in Salamanca when he was still only 20 years old. The result places him sixth among Cuban 110 m hurdlers, behind Anier García, Dayron Robles, Emilio Valle, Alejandro Casañas and Yoel...
  
  , Cuban hurdler

April

• April 13 — Moushaumi Robinson
  Moushaumi Robinson
  Moushaumi Robinson is an American athlete. She represented the United States at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, where she won a gold medal in the 4×400 metres relay for her contributions in the preliminary round.-External links:* , from http://www.sports-reference.com/....
  
  , American sprinter
• April 19 — Kazuhiro Maeda
  Kazuhiro Maeda
  Kazuhiro Maeda is a Japanese long-distance runner.He made his international debut at the 2000 World Junior Championships in Athletics, where he ran in the heats of the 5000 metres. He won the Karatsu 10-Miler in 2003. He was part of the Japanese men's team for the short race at the 2006 IAAF World...
  
  , Japanese long-distance runner

May

• May 6 — Rui Pedro Silva
  Rui Pedro Silva
  Rui Pedro Silva is a Portuguese athlete specialized in middle and long distance running.- Reference :...
  
  , Portuguese distance runner
• May 15 — Merja Korpela
  Merja Korpela
  Merja Tuulikki Korpela is a female hammer thrower from Finland. Her personal best throw is 69.56 metres, achieved in July 2009 in Belgrade.She finished fourth at the 2000 World Junior Championships...
  
  , Finnish hammer thrower
• May 20 — Jana Tucholke
  Jana Tucholke
  Jana Tucholke is a retired female discus thrower from Germany. She set her personal best on May 12, 2007 at a meet in Leipzig.-Achievements:-External links:...
  
  , German discus thrower
• May 21 — Anna Rogowska
  Anna Rogowska
  Anna Rogowska is a Polish pole vaulter, current reigning World Champion.-Career:Born in Gdynia, she won the bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics, narrowly beating Monika Pyrek, another Polish pole vaulter born in Gdynia. Early 2005 brought success as she won the silver medal in the European Indoor...
  
  , Polish pole vaulter
• May 28 — Kamil Kalka
  Kamil Kalka
  Kamil Kalka is a Polish race walker.-Achievements:-References:...
  
  , Polish race walker
• May 31 — Eileen O'Keefe, Irish hammer thrower

July

• July 9 — Rutger Smith
  Rutger Smith
  Rutger Smith is a Dutch track and field athlete competing in the shot put and discus throw. He was the first athlete to win medals at the World Championships in both events. He represented the Netherlands at the Summer Olympics in 2004 and 2008...
  
  , Dutch discus thrower and shot putter
• July 13 — Ineta Radēviča
  Ineta Radevica
  Ineta Radēviča is a Latvian athlete, competing in the long jump and triple jump.Radēviča won the bronze medal in the 2003 European U-23 championship. She has also won two NCAA championships, while competing for the University of Nebraska. In the 2004 Summer Olympics, she was 13th in the triple...
  
  , Latvian long and triple jumper
• July 24 — Carys Parry
  Carys Parry
  Carys Parry is a Welsh hammer thrower.Parry was born in Church Village, Rhondda Cynon Taf. She finished sixth at the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne with a personal best throw of 61.80 metres....
  
  , Welsh hammer thrower
• July 30 — Daria Onyśko, Polish sprinter

August

• August 15 — Yoshiko Fujinaga
  Yoshiko Fujinaga
  Yoshiko Fujinaga is a female long-distance runner from Japan, who won the 2009 edition of the annual Nagoya Marathon on March 1, 2009, clocking a total time of 2:28:13. She is a one-time national champion in the women's 5,000 metres....
  
  , Japanese long-distance runner
• August 30 — Aleksandr Vashchyla
  Aleksandr Vashchyla
  Aleksandr Vashchyla is a male hammer thrower from Belarus, who is best known for winning the gold medal at the 2007 Summer Universiade. He set his personal best in the hammer throw event on 7 June 2008 in Minsk.-Achievements:-References:*...
  
  , Belarusian hammer thrower

September

• September 6 — Brandon Simpson
  Brandon Simpson
  Brandon Simpson is a sprinter who represents Bahrain, having previously represented Jamaica. He has won a bronze medal in 4 x 400 metres relay at three world championships; 2001, 2003 and 2005. He finished 6th in the individual 400 metres contest in 2005, and 5th at the 2004...
  
  , Jamaican athlete
• September 7 — Eyerusalem Kuma
  Eyerusalem Kuma
  Eyerusalem Kuma is an Ethiopian long-distance runner, who competes in marathons.At the beginning of her career, she specialized in the track running and cross-country running...
  
  , Ethiopian distance runner
• September 12 — Greg Nixon
  Greg Nixon
  Greg Nixon is an American sprinter who specialises in the 400 meters. His success has come mostly in the 4×400-meter relay and he is a two-time World Indoor champion in the event....
  
  , American sprinter
• September 15 — Tomas Intas
  Tomas Intas
  Tomas Intas is a Lithuanian javelin thrower. His personal best throw is 82.94 metres, achieved in September 2004 in Banská Bystrica.-Achievements:-External links:...
  
  , Lithuanian javelin thrower

October

• October 3 — Anna Omarova
  Anna Omarova
  Anna Omarova is an Russian shot putter.Her personal best throw is 19.69 metres, achieved in June 2007 in Munich.-Achievements:-References:...
  
  , Russian shot putter
• October 18 — Ji Young-Jun
  Ji Young-Jun
  Ji Young-Jun is a South Korean long-distance runner who specializes in the marathon. His personal best times are 13:49.99 minutes in the 5000 metres, achieved in June 2006 in Shibetsu; 29:42.38 minutes in the 10,000 metres, achieved in June 2002 in Uijeongbu; and 2:08:30 hours in the marathon,...
  
  , South Korean long-distance runner

November

• November 8 — Jéssica Augusto
  Jessica Augusto
  Jéssica Augusto is a Portuguese runner who competes in cross country, road running and in middle-distance and long-distance track events....
  
  , Portuguese long-distance runner
• November 18 — Kimberly Barrett
  Kimberly Barrett
  Kimberly Barrett is a Puerto Rican shot putter. Her personal best throw is 18.28 metres, achieved in May 2004 in Gainesville. She originally represented Jamaica...
  
  , Jamaica-Puerto Rican shot putter
• November 21 — Werknesh Kidane
  Werknesh Kidane
  Werknesh Kidane , is an Ethiopian long distance running athlete who competes in both 5000 and 10,000 metres. She has won numerous medals at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships and represented Ethiopia at the Summer Olympics in 2000 and 2004...
  
  , Ethiopian long-distance runner

December

• December 8 — Gabriel Ortiz
  Gabriel Ortiz
  Gabriel Ortiz is a Mexican race walker who specializes in races.He competed at the 2004 and 2006 World Race Walking Cups, and finished fourth at the Central American and Caribbean Games. He also competed at the 2007 World Championships, but was disqualified there.-Achievements:-References:...
  
  , Mexican race walker
• December 22 — Marina Kuptsova
  Marina Kuptsova
  Marina Kuptsova is a Russian high jumper who won a silver medal at the 2003 World Championships. She is also a former European indoor high jump champion...
  
  , Russian high jumper

Deaths

• April 25 — Paul Bontemps
  Paul Bontemps
  Paul Bontemps was a French athlete who competed mainly in the 3,000 metre steeple chase.He competed for a France in the 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris, France in the 3,000 metre steeple chase where he won the bronze medal.- Personal Bests :*800 metres: 1.54.6 *1500 metres: 3.59.8 *Mile: 4.21.8...
  
   (76), Franch long-distance runner (b. 1902)
• August 2 — Delfo Cabrera
  Delfo Cabrera
  Delfo Cabrera Gómez was an Argentine athlete, winner of the marathon race at the 1948 Summer Olympics in one of the most dramatic finishes in athletics history.-Biography:...
  
  (62), Argentine long-distance runner (b. 1919)