Physical

Education and
Health 3

Track and Field

Sports
Week 7 & 8
 Lesson
Objectives

• Engages in moderate to vigorous physical

activities (MVPAs) for at least 60 minutes most
days of the week in a variety of settings in- and
out-of-school.
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and Health 3

History of Track and Field

Track and field are one of

the oldest sports. Athletic
contests were often held
in conjunction with
religious festivals, as with
the Olympic Games of
ancient Greece.
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and Health 3

History of Track and Field

For 11 centuries, starting in 776 B.C., these affairs
— for men only — were enormously popular and
prestigious events. The Romans continued the
Olympic tradition until the time of Emperor
Theodosius I, a Christian, who banned the Games
in A.D. 394.
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History of Track and Field

Not until the 1860s, however, did the sport flourish.
In 1866 the first English championships were
held by the newly formed Amateur Athletic Club, which
opened the competition to all "gentlemen amateurs"
specifically, athletes who received no financial
compensation for their efforts.
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History of Track and Field

In 1896 the first modern Olympic Games were staged.

Although initially of limited appeal, the Olympics
captured the imagination of athletes and grew
steadily, making track and field an international sport
for the first time.
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Rules and Scoring

All races are started by the firing of a gun by an official
at the starting line. For races up to and including one
lap of an outdoor track, the runners must stay for the
entire distance within lanes marked on the track. There
may be six to eight lanes, with each lane usually
measuring 1.2 m (4 ft.) in width.
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Rules and Scoring

There may be six to eight lanes, with each lane usually
measuring 1.2 m (4 ft.) in width. The winner in each race
is the runner whose torso first breaks the vertical plane of
the finish line. Races are timed either by mechanical
watches or by more sophisticated, electronic
photo-timers that can measure finishes to the hundredth
of a second.
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Rules and Scoring

Athletes in the field events also have qualifying
rounds. In the horizontal jumps and throws,
athletes are allowed three preliminary attempts if
the field numbers more than eight participants.
Then the best performers are allowed three more
attempts.
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Rules and Scoring

In the vertical jumps the high jump — and pole vault —
the participants are allowed to continue until they have
three successive failures. If two or more contestants tie,
the competitor with the fewest failures at the last height
cleared is the winner; if still tied, the total number of
failures is the deciding factor; if a tie remains, the total
number of jumps is considered. Scoring differs according
to the meet.
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Rules and Scoring

Many national competitions are scored based on 10
points for first place, 8 for second, on 1 point for
sixth. In international meets, the scoring is 5 for first
place, 3 for a second, 2 for third, and 1 for fourth.
The team with the highest total wins.
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Rules and Scoring

For road races, cross-country meets, and walking

competitions, the winner is given 1 point, and
the second place finisher 2 points, and so on; the
finish positions are totaled, and the team with
the lowest score is the winner.
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Running Events
1. Sprint
Sprint running races are short distance races in
which athletes try to run at their maximum
speed throughout the entire distance of the
race. Sprint races are part of the track and field
discipline and are included in all events that
feature track and field competitions.
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Running Events
2. Middle Distance
Middle-distance running, in athletics (track and field),
races that range in distance from 800 meters (roughly
one-half mile) to 3,000 meters (almost 2 miles). In
international competitions, middle-distance races include
the 800 meters, the 1,500 meters (the metric mile), and
the 3,000 meters (a steeplechase event for men, but a
regular run for women). In English-speaking countries,
until the second half of the 20th century, the 880 yards
(half a mile) and the mile were run as the equivalents of
the 800 meters and the 1,500 meters.
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Running Events
3. Long Distance
In athletics (track and field), foot races range from
3,000 meters through 10,000,20,000, and 30,000
meters and up to the marathon, which is 42,195 meters
(26 miles385 yards). It includes cross-country races over
similar distances. Olympic events are the 5,000- and
10,000-metre races, held on a track, and the marathon,
contested on roads. Like the middle-distance races (800
and 1,500 meters in the Olympics), long-distance races
are run at a strategic pace, but less seldom is a final
spurt, or kick, needed by the winning racer.
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Running Events
4. Relay
A relay race, also called Relay, is a
track-and-field sport consisting of a set
number of stages (legs), usually four, each
leg run by a different member of a team.
The runner finishing one leg is usually
required to pass on a baton to the next
runner while both are running in a marked
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-End of Slide-