Athletics was contested at the very first ancient Olympic Games, with the names of winners dating back to 776 BC.
In modern times, athletics is the largest sport at the Olympic Games and is divided into track, field and road events. Athletes compete in men's and women's individual events, and men's, women's and mixed team events. Read more on the LA 2028 website.
The National Governing Body is UK Athletics, based in Birmingham. Find out more on the British Athletics website.