Table of Contents

History of Track and Field ……………. Pg 1

 History of Track and Field

Track and field has been around since the start of the
Olympics in Ancient Greece in 776 B.C. 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 394 A.D. because of their ties to pagan beliefs.
While it has grown since its inception, the track and field
events in these ancient times still remain in today’s sport.
Victors were praised and celebrated by their home cities for
their success in these games.

While track and field has a long and storied history, it did not
gain great popularity and take off until the 1860s. In 1866,
England held its first championships for men amateurs. No
financial compensation was provided to the winners, setting
precedent for the modern-day Olympics and basis for the
sport.

Momentum behind track and field started to grow in England,

and later travelled to the United States. The Amateur Athletic
Union (AAU) was founded in the U.S. in 1887 and has been
the governing body for the sport since. Just shy of 10 years
later, the modern Olympics began in 1896 with track and field
amongst the list of participating sports.

Reference:https://www.flotrack.org/articles/6747663-the-histo
ry-of-track-and-field PG (1)