Athletics at the Commonwealth Games

Athletics is one of several sports contested at the quadrennial Commonwealth Games competition. It has been a Commonwealth Games sport since the inaugural edition of the event's precursor, the 1930 British Empire Games. It is a core sport and must be included in the sporting programme of each edition of the Games.

Editions

Games Year Host city Host country Best nation
I 1930 Hamilton, Ontario  Canada England
II 1934 London  England England
III 1938 Sydney, New South Wales  Australia Canada
IV 1950 Auckland  New Zealand Australia
V 1954 Vancouver, British Columbia  Canada England
VI 1958 Cardiff  Wales Australia
VII 1962 Perth, Western Australia  Australia Australia
VIII 1966 Kingston  Jamaica Australia
IX 1970 Edinburgh  Scotland Australia
X 1974 Christchurch  New Zealand England
XI 1978 Edmonton, Alberta  Canada England
XII 1982 Brisbane, Queensland  Australia England
XIII 1986 Edinburgh  Scotland England
XIV 1990 Auckland  New Zealand England
XV 1994 Victoria, British Columbia  Canada England
XVI 1998 Kuala Lumpur  Malaysia Australia
XVII 2002 Manchester  England England
XVIII 2006 Melbourne, Victoria  Australia Australia
XIX 2010 Delhi  India Kenya
XX 2014 Glasgow  Scotland Kenya
XXI 2018 Gold Coast, Queensland  Australia

Events

Men's events

No new events have been added to the men's athletics programme since the 1998 addition of the 20 km and 50 km racewalks. The roster of events has not changed since then, with the exception of the omission of the 50 km racewalk from 2010 and the 20 km racewalk in 2014. A total of 35 different events have been held in the men's competition, 23 of which were contested at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Many of the discontinued events were similar to modern events but at different lengths as they were contested over distances measured in Imperial units. Events with distances measured in metric units were first contested in 1970.

Event 30 34 38 50 54 58 62 66 70 74 78 82 86 90 94 98 02 06 10 14 Games
Current program
100 metres X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
200 metres X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
400 metres X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
800 metres X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
1500 metres X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
5000 metres X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
10,000 metres X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
Marathon X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
110 metres hurdles X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
400 metres hurdles X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
3000 metres steeplechase X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 15
4 × 100 metres relay X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
4 × 400 metres relay X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
High jump X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
Pole vault X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
Long jump X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
Triple jump X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
Shot put X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
Discus throw X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
Hammer throw X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
Javelin throw X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
Decathlon X X X X X X X X X X X X X 13
Past events
100 yards X X X X X X X X 8
220 yards X X X X X X X X 8
440 yards X X X X X X X X 8
880 yards X X X X X X X X 8
1 miles X X X X X X X X 8
3 miles X X X X X X X X 8
6 miles X X X X X X X X 8
120 yards hurdles X X X X X X X X 8
440 yards hurdles X X X X X X X X 8
20 kilometres race walk X X X X 4
20 miles walk X X X 3
30 kilometres race walk X X X X X 5
50 kilometres race walk X X X 3
4 x 440 yards relay X X X X X X X X 8
Events 19 20 19 19 19 19 20 22 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 24 24 24 23 22

Women's events

A total of 34 different events have been held in the women's competition, 23 of which were contested at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. The women's program has been identical to the men's program since the 2006 Commonwealth Games (with the exception of the discontinued men's 50 km walk) when the women's 3000m steeplechase was added to the program. The 20 km racewalk was omitted from the program in 2014.

Event 30 34 38 50 54 58 62 66 70 74 78 82 86 90 94 98 02 06 10 14 Games
Current program
100 metres X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
200 metres X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
400 metres X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
800 metres X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
1500 metres X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
5000 metres X X X X X 5
10,000 metres X X X X X X X X 8
Marathon X X X X X X X 7
100 metres hurdles X X X X X X X X X X X 11
400 metres hurdles X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
3000 metres steeplechase X X X 3
4 × 100 metres relay X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
4 × 400 metres relay X X X X X X X X X X X X 12
High jump X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
Pole vault X X X X X 5
Long jump X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
Triple jump X X X X X 5
Shot put X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 16
Discus throw X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 16
Hammer throw X X X X X 5
Javelin throw X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 20
Heptathlon X X X X X X X X X 9
Past events
110 yards X X X X X X X X 8
220 yard X X X X X X X X 8
440 yard X 1
880 yard X X X 3
1-mile X X X X X X X X 8
3000 metres X X X X X 5
10 kilometres race walk X X X 3
20 kilometres race walk X X X 3
4 x 110 yards relay X X X X 4
4 x 440 yards relay X X X X X X X X 8
Events 7 8 7 7 10 10 11 12 13 15 15 16 17 19 18 22 22 23 23 22

Elite Athletes with a Disability events

From the 2002 Commonwealth Games a number of events have been included in the program to include elite athletes with disabilities. The inclusion of events in this category has been inconsistent over the four Games where they have been included.

Event 02 06 10 14 Games
Men's 100 metres T12 X X 2
Men's 100 metres T37 X 1
Men's 100 metres T46 X 1
Men's 200 metres T46 X 1
Men's 1500 metres T54 X X 2
Men's shot put F32/34/52 X 1
Men's discus throw F42-44 X 1
Men's discus throw seated X 1
Women's 100 metres T12 X 1
Women's 100 metres T37 X X 2
Women's 800 metres T54 X X 2
Women's 1500 metres T54 X X 2
Women's long jump F37/38 X 1
Women's shot put seated X 1
Women's shot put F32-34/52/53 X 1
Events 2 5 6 6

All-time medal table

Updated after the 2014 Commonwealth Games

Rank Nation Gold Silver Bronze Total
1 England189195176560
2 Australia183149127459
3 Canada8092131303
4 Kenya685544167
5 Jamaica503234116
6 South Africa393529103
7 New Zealand354451130
8 Nigeria19262065
9 Scotland18213170
10 Wales14181850
11 Bahamas9111030
12 Northern Ireland710118
13 Ghana581023
14 Uganda55616
15 Tanzania54615
16 Trinidad and Tobago4131229
17 India491225
18 Pakistan23611
19 Guyana2316
20 Botswana2215
Mozambique2215
22 Namibia2169
23 Zimbabwe14813
24 Cyprus1416
25 Fiji1214
26 Bermuda1124
27 Grenada1113
Malaysia1113
Sri Lanka1113
30 Barbados1045
31 Cayman Islands1012
Zambia1012
33 Lesotho1001
Saint Kitts and Nevis1001
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines1001
36 Cameroon0325
37 Mauritius0112
38 Saint Lucia0033
39 Samoa0011
Seychelles0011
Swaziland0011
The Gambia0011
Total 757 756 764 2277

Games records

External links