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• track and field
  track and field

  noun

  a sport performed indoors or outdoors and made up of several events, as running, pole-vaulting, shot-putting, and broad-jumping.
• track-and-field
  track-and-field

  adjective

  of, relating to, or participating in the sports of running, pole-vaulting, broad-jumping, etc..

track and field

¹ American  

noun

1. a sport performed indoors or outdoors and made up of several events, as running, pole-vaulting, shot-putting, and broad-jumping.

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track-and-field ² American  

[trak-uhn-feeld] / ˈtræk ənˈfild /

adjective

1. of, relating to, or participating in the sports of running, pole-vaulting, broad-jumping, etc..

   a track-and-field athlete.

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Usage

What does track and field mean? Track and field is the name for the group of sports that involve running on a track (short- and long-distance running races, from 100 to 10,000 meters), jumping (high jump, long jump, triple jump), throwing (shot put, javelin, discus, hammer throw), or some combination (hurdles, steeplechase, pole vault). In track and field, the running events are performed on a track, the throwing events are performed on a field, and the jumping events are performed on a specialized setup (such as a track and a sand pit, as in the long jump and the triple jump). When it is used as an adjective, the term is often hyphenated, as in track-and-field events. Many track-and-field athletes compete in more than one track-and-field event. A sprinter may compete in 100- and 200-meter races, as well as a relay race, for example. A long-distance runner may compete in multiple long-distance races (such as the 1,500- and 5,000-meter races). Some track-and-field athletes compete in events that combine multiple running, jumping, and throwing events, such as the decathlon (10 events). The track-and-field events at the summer Olympic Games (the Summer Games) are often considered the pinnacle of competition in the sport. Not all sports that take place (or partially take place) on a track or field (such as archery or cycling) are considered part of track and field. Cross-country running is often considered distinct from track and field because it involves racing on open terrain (as opposed to a track). In the UK and other places, track-and-field events are sometimes known collectively as athletics. Example: I played football when I was younger, but in college I started competing in track and field.

Etymology

Origin of track-and-field

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

He’ll take his 3.8 grade-point average and giant body to study buisness and compete in track and field at UC Irvine.

From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026

It was a tactic Nereyda Hernandez previously faced when her daughter, Jurupa Valley High track and field athlete AB Hernandez, first hit the national spotlight last year.

From Los Angeles Times • May 14, 2026

But in May, Las Vegas will host the first full-scale Enhanced Games, a four-day meet in swimming, track and field, and weightlifting.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

"But if you mess up on track and field, then it all goes away."

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

But in the spring there aren’t any contact sports, just baseball and track and field.

From "Crash" by Jerry Spinelli