This article contains an overview of the sport of athletics, including track and field

Track and field

Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...

, cross country

Cross country running

Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...

 and road running

Road running

Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...

, in the year 2003

2003 in sports

2003 in sports describes the year's events in world sport.-Alpine skiing:* Alpine Skiing World Cup** Men's overall season championship: Stephan Eberharter, Austria** Women's overall season championship: Janica Kostelić, Croatia-American football:...

.

The foremost competition of the year was the 2003 World Championships in Athletics

2003 World Championships in Athletics

The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:...

, followed by the 2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships

2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships

The 9th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, UK from 14 March to 16 March 2003. It was the first time the Championships had been held in the UK...

. At regional level, athletics was featured at two major games that were held that year: the 2003 Pan American Games

2003 Pan American Games

The 14th Pan American Games were held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, from 1 to 17 August 2003. The successful bid for the games was made in the mid-1990s, when this country had one of the highest growth rates in Latin America....

 and the 2003 All-Africa Games

2003 All-Africa Games

The 8th All Africa Games were October 5-17, 2003 in Abuja, Nigeria. 53 countries participated in 23 sports. The main venue was the newly constructed Abuja Stadium...

.

World

• World Championships in Athletics
  2003 World Championships in Athletics
  The 9th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations, were held from 23 August to 31 August 2003 in the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France.-Track:...
  
  
• World Indoor Championships
  2003 IAAF World Indoor Championships
  The 9th IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics were held in the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham, UK from 14 March to 16 March 2003. It was the first time the Championships had been held in the UK...
  
  
• World Athletics Final
  2003 IAAF World Athletics Final
  The 1st IAAF World Athletics Final was held at the Stade Louis II, in Monte Carlo, Monaco on 13 September and 14 September 2003.The hammer throw event for men and women had to take place in Szombathely, Hungary a week previous as the Monaco stadium was not large enough to hold the event.One of the...
  
  
• World Cross Country Championships
  2003 IAAF World Cross Country Championships
  The 31st IAAF World Cross Country Championships were held 29-30 March 2003 in Lausanne and Avenches , Switzerland.- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :- Individual :- Team :...
  
  
• World Half Marathon Championships
  2003 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships
  The 12th IAAF World Half Marathon Championships was held on October 4, 2003 in Vilamoura, Portugal. A total of 171 athletes, 98 men and 73 women, from 49 countries took part.-Individual:-Team:-Individual:-Team:-External links:*...
  
  
• World Youth Championships
  2003 World Youth Championships in Athletics
  The 2003 World Youth Championships in Athletics is the 2003 version of the World Youth Championships in Athletics. It was held in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada from the 9th to the 13th of July.-Boys:-Girls:-Medals table:-External links:*...
  
  

• World Student Games
  Athletics at the 2003 Summer Universiade
  The athletics competition at the 2003 Summer Universiade was held on the Daegu World Cup Stadium in Daegu, South Korea, between 25 August and 30 August 2003.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:-References:* - GBR Athletics...
  
  
• Military World Games
  Track and field at the 2003 Military World Games
  At the 2003 Military World Games, the track and field events were held at the Stadio Angelo Massimino in Catania, Italy, from 6 – 8 December 2003. The marathon races were held outside of the stadium, taking place in neighbouring Palermo...
  
  
• Golden League
  2003 IAAF Golden League
  The 2003 Golden League was the 6th edition of the IAAF's annual series of six athletics meets, held across Europe, with athletes having the chance to win the Golden League Jackpot of $1 million.-Programme:- Men :- Women :-External links:*...
  
  
• World Marathon Majors

Regional

• All-Africa Games
  Athletics at the 2003 All-Africa Games
  -Track:-Field:-Track:-Field:-Medal table:-External links:*...
  
  
• African Junior Championships
• Asian Championships
  2003 Asian Championships in Athletics
  The 15th Asian Athletics Championships were held in Manila, The Philippines in 2003.- Men :- Women :- Medal table :-External links:*...
  
  
• Asian Cross Country Championships
• Central Asian Games
• Indian Ocean Island Games
• Southeast Asian Games
  Athletics at the 2003 Southeast Asian Games
  At the 2003 Southeast Asian Games, the athletics events were held at the My Dinh National Stadium in Hanoi, Vietnam from 7 to 12 December 2003...
  
  

• Central American and Caribbean Championships
• Pan American Games
  Athletics at the 2003 Pan American Games
  The athletics competition at the 2003 Pan American Games was held in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic from Tuesday August 5 to Saturday August 9, 2003...
  
  
• South American Athletics Championships
  2003 South American Championships in Athletics
  The 2003 South American Championships in Athletics were held from June 20 to June 22 at the Polideportivo Máximo Viloria in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. Detailed day-by-day reports can be found on the IAAF website.-Men's events:-Women's events:-Medal table:...
  
  
• South American Cross Country Championships

• Balkan Games
• European Cross Country Championships
  2003 European Cross Country Championships
  The 10th European Cross Country Championships were held at Edinburgh in Scotland on 14 December 2003. Serhiy Lebid took his fourth title in the men's competition and Paula Radcliffe her second title in the women's race.-Men individual 10.095km:-Men teams:...
  
  
• European Cup
• European Junior Championships
  2003 European Athletics Junior Championships
  The 2003 European Athletics Junior Championships was held in Tampere, Finland from 23–27 July 2003. A total of 44 events were contested; 22 by men and 22 by women. Germany had the biggest medal haul with nine golds and a total of 27, closely followed by Russia . Great Britain was third with 17...
  
  
• European U23 Championships
  2003 European Athletics U23 Championships
  The 2003 European Athletics U23 Championships was held in Bydgoszcz, Poland at the Zdzisław Krzyszkowiak Stadium between 17–20 July 2003.- Men's :-Women's:-Medals table:-References:* . GBR Athletics. Retrieved on 2009-08-05.*...
  
  
• European Mountain Running Championships

Men

2003 TRACK & FIELD AWARDS	WINNER
IAAF World Athlete of the Year IAAF World Athlete of the Year The IAAF Athlete of the Year award is a prize that can be won by athletes participating in events within the sport of athletics organised by the International Athletic Foundation of the International Association of Athletics Federations , including track and field, cross country running, road...
Track & Field Athlete of the Year Track & Field Athlete of the Year The Track & Field Athlete of the Year award is given to track and field athletes by Track & Field News magazine. A panel of international track and field experts organized by the magazine selects the winners. The award has been given to men since 1959 and women since 1974.-Winners:-External links:*...
European Athlete of the Year Award European Athlete of the Year Award The European Athlete of the Year Trophy is an annual prize awarded to sportspeople participating in athletics, including track and field, road running and cross country running competitions...
Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award The Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award was presented annually between 1993 and 2006 to the male track and field athlete, irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year...

Women

2003 TRACK & FIELD AWARDS	WINNER
IAAF World Athlete of the Year IAAF World Athlete of the Year The IAAF Athlete of the Year award is a prize that can be won by athletes participating in events within the sport of athletics organised by the International Athletic Foundation of the International Association of Athletics Federations , including track and field, cross country running, road...
Track & Field Athlete of the Year Track & Field Athlete of the Year The Track & Field Athlete of the Year award is given to track and field athletes by Track & Field News magazine. A panel of international track and field experts organized by the magazine selects the winners. The award has been given to men since 1959 and women since 1974.-Winners:-External links:*...
European Athlete of the Year Award European Athlete of the Year Award The European Athlete of the Year Trophy is an annual prize awarded to sportspeople participating in athletics, including track and field, road running and cross country running competitions...
Best Female Track Athlete ESPY Award Best Female Track Athlete ESPY Award The Best Female Track Athlete ESPY Award was presented annually between 1993 and 2006 to the female track and field athlete, irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year...

400m Hurdles

Hurdling

Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...

RANK	2003 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		47.25
2.		48.05
3.		48.17
4.		48.18
5.		48.23

3,000m Steeplechase

Steeplechase (athletics)

The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...

RANK	2003 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		7:57.38
2.		7:57.42
3.		8:02.49
4.		8:06.91
5.		8:07.74

Pole Vault

Pole vault

Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...

RANK	2003 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	HEIGHT
1.		5.95 m
2.		5.93 m
3.		5.91 m
4.		5.90 m
5.		5.87 m

100 metres

100 metres

The 100 metres, or 100-metre dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, it is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at the Summer Olympics since 1896...

RANK	2003 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		10.86
2.		10.89
3.		10.93
4.		10.97
5.		10.99

200 metres

200 metres

A 200 metres race is a sprint running event. On an outdoor 400 m track, the race begins on the curve and ends on the home straight, so a combination of techniques are needed to successfully run the race. A slightly shorter race, called the stadion and run on a straight track, was the first...

RANK	2003 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		22.11
2.		22.28
3.		22.31
4.		22.38
5.		22.41

Half Marathon

Half marathon

A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a...

RANK	2003 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		1:05:39

100m Hurdles

Hurdling

Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...

RANK	2003 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		12.45
3.		12.51
4.		12.53
5.		12.65

400m Hurdles

Hurdling

Hurdling is a type of track and field race.- Distances :There are sprint hurdle races and long hurdle races. The standard sprint hurdle race is 110 meters for men and 100 meters for women. The standard long hurdle race is 400 meters for both men and women...

RANK	2003 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		52.34
2.		53.22
3.		53.34
4.		53.71
5.		53.87

3,000m Steeplechase

Steeplechase (athletics)

The steeplechase is an obstacle race in athletics, which derives its name from the steeplechase in horse racing.-Rules:The length of the race is usually 3000 m; junior events are 2000 m, as women's events formerly were. The circuit has four ordinary barriers and one water jump. Over 3000 m, each...

RANK	2003 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	TIME
1.		9:08.33
2.		9:20.28
3.		9:24.78
4.		9:32.31
5.		9:39.51

High Jump

High jump

The high jump is a track and field athletics event in which competitors must jump over a horizontal bar placed at measured heights without the aid of certain devices in its modern most practiced format; auxiliary weights and mounds have been used for assistance; rules have changed over the years....

RANK	2003 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	HEIGHT
1.		2.06 m
		2.06 m
3.		2.02 m
4.		2.01 m
		2.01 m
		2.01 m
		2.01 m
		2.01 m

Pole Vault

Pole vault

Pole vaulting is a track and field event in which a person uses a long, flexible pole as an aid to leap over a bar. Pole jumping competitions were known to the ancient Greeks, as well as the Cretans and Celts...

RANK	2003 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	HEIGHT
1.		4.82 m
2.		4.75 m
3.		4.70 m

Heptathlon

Heptathlon

A heptathlon is a track and field athletics combined events contest made up of seven events. The name derives from the Greek hepta and athlon . A competitor in a heptathlon is referred to as a heptathlete.-Women's Heptathlon:...

RANK	2003 WORLD BEST PERFORMERS	POINTS
1.		7001
2.		6755
3.		6524
4.		6452
5.		6282

Pan American Games

• RANK			2:19:08
  		2:20:25
  		2:21:48

Best Year Performances

RANK	1.		2:04:55 WR	Berlin Marathon Berlin Marathon The Berlin Marathon is a major running and sporting event held annually in Berlin, Germany. The official marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers is set up as a city-wide road race where professional athletes and amateur runners jointly participate...
2.		2:04:56	Berlin Marathon
3.		2:05:50	Chicago Marathon Chicago Marathon The Bank of America Chicago Marathon is a major marathon held yearly in Chicago in Cook County, Illinois, United States. Alongside the Boston, New York, London and Berlin Marathons, it is one of the five World Marathon Majors. Thus, it is also an IAAF Gold Label race...
4.		2:06:15	Berlin Marathon
5.		2:06:33	Paris Marathon Paris Marathon The Paris International Marathon is an annual marathon which takes place from the Champs-Élysées heading towards the Place de la Concorde and continuing through the city to finish at Foch Avenue....
6.		2:06:36	Paris Marathon Paris Marathon The Paris International Marathon is an annual marathon which takes place from the Champs-Élysées heading towards the Place de la Concorde and continuing through the city to finish at Foch Avenue....
7.		2:06:38	Amsterdam Marathon Amsterdam Marathon The Amsterdam Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195km held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands since 1975. It is one of the top ten marathons in the world.-History:...
8.		2:06:42	Amsterdam Marathon
9.		2:06:47	Paris Marathon
10.		2:06:48	Paris Marathon Paris Marathon The Paris International Marathon is an annual marathon which takes place from the Champs-Élysées heading towards the Place de la Concorde and continuing through the city to finish at Foch Avenue....

Pan American Games

• RANK			2:39:54
  		2:42:55
  		2:44:52

Best Year Performances

RANK	1.		2:15:24 WR	London Marathon London Marathon The London Marathon is one of the biggest running events in the world, and one of the five top world marathons that make up the World Marathon Majors competition, which has a $1 million prize purse. It has been held each spring in London since 1981. The race is currently sponsored by Virgin Money,...
2.		2:19:39	Beijing Marathon Beijing Marathon The Beijing International Marathon is an annual marathon race of 42.195 km held in October in Beijing, People's Republic of China. The race was first held in 1981 and has been held every year since. The race begins at Tiananmen Square and finishes at the National Olympic Sports Centre stadium...
3.		2:19:55	London Marathon
4.		2:21:15	London Marathon
5.		2:21:18	Osaka International Ladies Marathon
6.		2:21:45	Osaka Marathon
7.		2:21:51	Osaka Marathon
8.		2:22:22	Osaka Marathon
9.		2:22:31	New York Marathon
10.		2:23:03	New York Marathon

Deaths

• April 22 — Mike Larrabee, American athlete (b. 1933)
• April 25 — Samson Kitur
  Samson Kitur
  Samson Kitur was a Kenyan athlete, and an Olympic medalist in 1992.Unlike most of his compatriots, who run in distances 800 metres and up, Kitur specialised in the 400 metres. He won the continental championship in 1991, and the next year he took the bronze medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics,...
  
   (37), Kenyan middle-distance runner (b. 1966)
• April 28 — Juha Tiainen
  Juha Tiainen
  Juha Tiainen was a former hammer thrower from Finland who won the gold medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics. The same year he achieved his personal best throw, 81.52 metres.-Achievements:...
  
   (47), Finnish hammer thrower (b. 1955)
• September 24 — Benson Masya
  Benson Masya
  Benson Masya was a Kenyan long-distance runner and marathon specialist, who competed in the late 1980s and 1990s. He participated at the inaugural IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 1992 and finished in first place....
  
  (33), Kenyan long-distance runner (b. 1970)