Everything to Know About the Decathlon in Track and Field

Location: on the track

Event Overview: The first event of the decathlon is a sprint.

In this race, athletes set up in starting blocks. After the starting gun signals the beginning of the race, they sprint 100 meters to the finish line, while staying in their assigned lane.

O’Brien explained there are three phases of the 100-meter run:

• A quick-block start, propelling runners into the sprint
• Transition to upright running
• Reach and hold top-end speed through the finish line

Location: typically on the infield, over a runway and sandpit, which the athletes jump into

Event Overview: Formerly known as the broad jump, the long jump tests an athlete’s horizontal jumping ability.

In the long jump, athletes take a running start on a 40-meter runway before jumping as far as possible into a sandpit, without crossing a foul line at the end of the runway. To successfully execute the long jump, O’Brien said athletes must master their speed and timing on the jump.

“Being a good sprinter provides a speedy run-up, and a perfectly timed jump is a must,” O’Brien said.

(Related: Everything to Know About the Triple Jump in Track and Field)

Location: throwing circle

Event Overview: The first throwing event of the decathlon, the shot put requires athletes to throw a round, metal ball as far as they can with one hand.

The metal ball (the shot) weighs 16 pounds (7.26 kilograms). According to World Athletics, the shot cannot drop below the athlete’s shoulders and must land inside a designated 35-degree landing sector. As they gear up to throw, athletes rest the shot close to their necks, holding it with one hand.

Two techniques dominate the shot put: the glide technique and the rotational technique. In the former, an athlete tucks the shot put under his chin and clavicle for an explosive launch, taking two big, single-leg pushes to accumulate power. This is a linear technique and doesn’t involve spinning. Conversely, the rotational technique involves rotating the legs and upper body to propel the launch.

Location: typically on the infield, in a designated jumping area with a crash pad for athletes to land on

Event Overview: The high jump tests an athlete’s vertical jumping skills.

In the high jump, athletes run toward a bar placed horizontally over a soft crash pad, where they land. Jumpers launch up and over the bar, typically head-first and facing upward, with their back arched.

If the athlete knocks over the bar while attempting to clear it, the jump is considered a failed attempt.

Location: on the track

Event Overview: The 400-meter dash tests both speed and stamina.

In the 400-meter race, athletes run one full lap around the track as fast as possible.

The last event of the first day of the decathlon, the 400-meter run requires athletes to muster their physical and mental strength. Athletes line up in staggered positions, launch out of starting blocks and run a full lap of the track, remaining in their designated lanes.

Location: on the track

Event Overview: During this race, athletes cover a 110-meter distance on the track while jumping over 10 hurdles, each measuring 42-inches high.

Athletes start in blocks and remain in their designated lanes for the duration of the race. According to World Athletics, there are 13.72 meters of distance to the first hurdle, 9.14 meters between hurdles thereafter and 14.02 meters from the final hurdle to the finish line.

“It’s an all-out sprint with barriers in the way,” O’Brien said.

While athletes are not disqualified if they clip or knock over a hurdle, doing so can cause them to slow down. If a hurdler steps out of their lane during a race, they can be disqualified.

Location: throwing circle

Event Overview: The second throwing event of the competition, discus is an event in which athletes spin and throw a metal disc as far as possible from a throwing pit.

The disc weighs 4.4 pounds (2 kilograms). While the discus is lighter than the shot put, the event challenges throwers to hone their throwing technique, which involves spinning around one-and-a-half times in a circular throwing area before releasing the disc into the air.

The athlete throws the disc into an area called the landing sector, which extends from the throwing circle at a 40-degree angle in a cone shape.

(Related: Everything to Know About the Discus Throw in Track and Field)

Location: typically on the infield, in a designated jumping area, with a runway and a crash pad for athletes to land on after clearing a high bar

Event Overview: The objective of the pole vault is to sprint down a runway holding a long, flexible pole made of fiberglass or carbon fiber, then place one end of the pole into a box on the ground, vaulting into the air over a high bar.

The length of the pole ranges from 10 to 17 feet in length, depending on skill level, and they have different thicknesses, according to the athlete’s weight and ability. During each attempt, athletes run full speed down a runway, use the pole to vault their bodies over a bar set high in the air and land on their backs on the crash pad — all without knocking down the bar.

Location: javelin throwing area, which includes a runway and a landing sector

Event Overview: In the third throwing event in decathlon, athletes throw the javelin, a metal-tipped spear, as far as possible. They hold the javelin with one hand, the pinky finger toward the tip of the javelin.

Throwers begin with a running start on a runway, then do a series of crossover steps before planting their foot and throwing the javelin as far as possible. For the throw to be counted, the athlete must not cross a foul line at the end of the runway as they’re throwing the javelin.

According to World Athletics, athletes cannot turn their backs to the landing area at any stage during the approach and throw — or the throw will not count. Competitors must also throw the javelin over the upper part of their throwing arm, and the javelin must land tip-first and within the marked landing sector.

Location: on the track

Event Overview: Known as the metric mile, the last event covers 1,500 meters, three-and-three-quarters laps around a 400-meter track.

The 1,500-meter run is considered a middle-distance race — not a sprint but not quite a long-distance event. Athletes begin the race in a bunched start — not in designated lanes — and start standing up rather than in starting blocks.