History of Running
Throughout history Athletics, or also well known as Track and Field, has been played in numerous countries and by numerous amounts of people. Actually, Athletics is dated back to the Ancient Greeks. Track was also the only event to be played in the first Olympics Games in Athens, Greece in 776 B.C. Athletics was actually the first recorded sport that we have records of. The reason for this is because the first thing you do as a child is walk which as part as the natural order of things leads to running. The first and single event in the first Olympics was the ‘stade’ where you ran the entire length of the Athenian Stadium.
Since 776 the Olympic games took place in Athens once every four years. As time progressed, more events were added to the ancient games, Including longer running and jumping. Other events like wrestling, discus, and javelin were also incorporated into the games. Later on, the Romans incorporated a form of the Greek events into their own games, like chariot racing, wrestling, and the most favorited gladiatorial combat.
During the Middle Ages, Athletics became more diverse, when the sons of famous nobleman began to be actually trained in the sport. Which lead to conflicting rivalry between the nobility. At last, in the nineteenth century the more modern events that we are more familiar with today began to form.
Athletics is mostly an individual sport, with running events like the 100, 200, 400, 800, 1200, 1600-meter races. You can also be on a team of four people like the 4×100 meter or the 4×400 meter relays. A regular track team consists of one runner to as many as you would like, but you do not have to be a runner. You can do a field event like shot put, high jump, javelin, discus, long jump, triple jump, and pole vault. Whether you are a runner or not anyone can participate in Athletics.
The track field or also known as the track is oval shaped, usually surrounding a football stadium. The track itself usually has nine lanes, which you run in. Some events have different lane assignments than others, but usually you have to stay in your own lane. The field events take place on the field, on the inside of the track. On the field, there are different places for each event. The long jump and triple jump both have a long lane in which you run and then jump into a sound pit. The shot put, javelin, and discus take up the most room because you need room to throw. The high jump and pole vault have a padded area in which you jump over a suspended pole in order to clear it.
Modern Athletics is still played at the Olympics with athletes from all over the world. Today’s track is pretty similar as it was in 776 B.C. with the exception of the additional events and the methods of training and performance. Even to this day Track and Field is played at the elementary level, high school level, college level, and professional level. Athletics will truly last the test of time.