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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

See Examples For:

track and field track-and-field

The Amsterdam Games were the first to allow women to compete in track and field events.

From BBC ● Sep. 18, 2026

Several leading track and field athletes competing at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest last weekend expressed their consternation at Sweeney's commercial, saying it was a misleading representation of how women in sport looked.

From Barron's ● Sep. 14, 2026

"It's a good first step towards changing track and field for the better," said Usain Bolt, event ambassador and the greatest sprinter in history.

From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026

And, in a nod to MLB, LA28 organizers scheduled the baseball competition in a preferred window, starting before any competition in gymnastics, swimming and track and field.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2026

In PE, Coach Swieteck put Joseph in charge of his own squad of kids who wanted to go out for track and field in the spring.

From "Orbiting Jupiter" by Gary D. Schmidt

B.P.J. was allowed to participate in sports as the case went on, leading her to join the girls’ cross-country and track-and-field teams.

From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2026

India's most famous track-and-field athlete, Neeraj Chopra will be hoping to defend his Olympic gold in men's javelin throw from Tokyo 2020.

From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2024

Among other hobbies, Cervantes, who had been a track-and-field athlete in high school, became an official for USA Track and Field and a officiant at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 26, 2024

His ankle feeling strong again this winter, Muñoz was able to return to the track on which he grew up competing, going through his track-and-field training regime with his old track coach.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 25, 2024

He had moved on to become an athletic trainer for collegiate football and track-and-field teams and, most recently, the athletic trainer for the world champion Chicago White Sox in 1906.

From "The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics" by Daniel James Brown